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HOW THIS BLOG WORKS

New plant arrivals, desirable species and requested plants included
New species described every few days, most recent posts at top of thread
Jump to older Blog Threads from links below.
Blog discusses palm trees, cycads and tropical plants

LEARN ABOUT PALM TREES AND CYCADSBrief comments given below. We trim
this thread frequently to maintain 30 day run.
Information on sun requirements and cold tolerance given if
available
Pictures of mature specimens shown when possible
In depth posts with lots of photos on some species

PRICING ON PLANTS SHOWNOn some plants, pricing given with the
post
You can use quick link for all our prices:PALM
PRICES or CYCAD PRICES

SPECIALS AND SALESSpecials below apply to drop in visits or
mail orders. Photos are representative.
All specials have a termination date and always expire when the
current thread expiresTen Day Specialsexpire ten days
after date of posting and are marked in red color
For any sale prices, you must mention all Blog Only Sale Prices
when purchasing

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUS
MULTIPLE OFFSETS AVAILABLE
CLASSIC FORM - BEAUTIFUL BLUE COLOR
SOME STILL AVAILABLETEN DAY SPECIAL THESE OFFSETS

Some of you may
remember last year when we brought in a very large private collection of
rare cycads. Many of these have since sold. But, one E.
trispinosus didn't and we were sort of glad that it didn't sell.
This is because it had about twenty very large offsets around the 16
inch mother caudex. This plant was super prolific in making offsets.
These pups ranged in size from about 5 inches to 8 inches. And, almost
all had beautiful leaves. Many people said they wanted a pup when we
removed them. So, this past week we removed about fifteen of the
offsets and put them into pumice.

Almost all had nice roots. And, they were very simple to remove from
the parent plant with a slight tap of a chisel. We have put them all
into pure pumice and treated them with Root Tone powder and a
fungicide. As most had nice roots, they will establish very quickly.
We decided not to cut off the leaves because they are so healthy,
already with many nice roots. The majority are in the six inch range
with a few up to eight inches. About four have already sold. People
have told us this is one of the most beautiful and classic E.
trispinosus they've ever seen. Sorry, but we do not know the sex
of all of these offsets. It has not coned since we've had it. But, all
offsets will be the same sex. This species takes full coastal sun and
is cold hardy to about 22 degrees F.

TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE
REMAINING OFFSETS: $125 PER INCH OF CAUDEX

Mother cycad with about 20 pups

Same

Close-up showing classic leaf form

It's difficult to show with pictures, but the main
caudex had about 20 pups ranging from
5 to 8 inches

This and next two pictures 6 inch pup

This and next 2 pictures 6.5 inch pup

This and next 2 pictures 6 inch offset

This 6 inch offset just had one leaf

One of the larger offsets at 8 inches

This 8 incher had leaves but limited roots

As you can see, very few and short roots

Same

This and next 2 pictures of a 6.5 inch offset

This and next 2 pictures 7.5 inch offset

This and next 3 pictures of pups put into pumice
so they can establish and grow into full, beautiful
specimens

ENCEPHALARTOS
ALTENSTEINIISUN LOVING, LARGE SOUTH AFRICAN
CYCADTEN DAY SPECIAL LARGER BAND
SIZE

This rather larger green species from the Cape
region of South Africa can get a trunk up to fifteen feet. The trunk
diameter is stocky, up to two feet. Leaves are typically six feet
long. Leaf color is green. This species has a full head of many
leaves. It is most closely related to E. natalensis. But, the
base of the petiole is free of prickles or spines. This is a fast
growing plant and likes full sun along the coast. Cold tolerance is
about 22 degrees F. We are having a special on older band size
seedlings as shown. These are NOT new seedlings but ready for a 5g pot
or the garden.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $65TEN DAY SPECIAL $50

You must mention this Blog only special when purchasing to get this
price.

This species is native to the Mediterranean coast
of Europe and the genus extends down into Morocco where plants become
more blue in color and are known as C. cerifera. Regular Med
Fans are green to blue-green in color and one of the most cold hardy
palms around. They like sun and tolerate temperatures perhaps below 15
degrees F. Color of the leaves and height of the stems is quite
variable. There are dwarf and very tall clones found. Leaf stems are
armed and the underside of the leaves is often silver. We are offering
huge 15g plants on special. They can be mail ordered although it's a
bit expensive because of the height and weight of these plants.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL $135

Blog only special. You must mention it when purchasing.

DIOON RZEDOWSKIIRARE MEXICAN DIOON SPECIESTEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

This is a rare cycad species from various
mountainous regions in Mexico. You hardly ever see them for sale,
especially with any size. These seed grown plants are over ten years
old, have been outdoor grown for over five years and have seen part or
near full day sun. Mature plants have leaves about five to six feet
long, narrow trunks that get up to 15 feet and minimal armor on the
leaflets. The plants on special are in 15g pots and have caudex size of
six to seven inches. They can take full sun right on the coast.
Otherwise, consider them a part day sun species. Cold tolerance is down
to the low 20's F. The last two photos are from plants in the wild c/o
J.O.

REGULAR PRICE 15G THIS SIZE $650TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $450

You must mention this Blog Only Special to get this price when you
purchase. We have several for sale at this price.

habitat photo by JO

habitat photo by JO

CYCAS THOUARSIIEASY-T0-GROW CYCAD FROM MADAGASCARTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G PLANTS THIS BATCH

This species of medium to large cycad from
Madagascar tolerates full sun along the coast and filtered light
inland. It is fairly quick growing and has about six foot long green
leaves. The petioles are armed with small spines but the leaves
themselves are not. They are soft to the touch. Trunks are vertical,
usually under 12 inches thick. Cold tolerance is into the mid-twenties
F.

We are offering plants from a batch of 5g's that we got in. These have
been outdoor grown their entire lives and are ready to plant with
minimal acclimation.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $135TEN DAY SPECIAL FROM THIS BATCH 5G $75

You must mention this Blog only special to get this price when
ordering. These plants can be easily shipped to you.

24 inch boxed nursery specimen

DYPSIS LEPTOCHEILOSTHE TEDDY BEAR PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

I feel this species should be in the Top Ten List
of desirable palms for Southern California. It is a good grower, is not
overly large, has an attractive silver-blue trunk that is topped off
with a rusty brown crown shaft that feels like velvet. What else could
you want?

This species comes from Madagascar, gets to about 25 feet height and has
a rather thin trunk of six inches typically. If the trunk doesn't get
any direct sun, it will maintain this color throughout its life. With
sun, it will develop a brown tan color. So, you might consider planting
the species where it will pierce the canopy but maintain shade on its
trunk. Along the coast Dypsis leptocheilos can be grown in
full sun, all day long. If you live far inland, I'd give it part day
sun. Cold tolerance is into the low 20's F. At our nursery in 2007, 25
degrees did not burn this species.

Shown here is an assortment of sizes from 1g plants up to 25g. Sizes
available changes over time, but we try to always have this species in
stock. No palm garden is complete without a Teddy Bear.

This single trunk species of pinnate palm is
probably from Madagascar although no one knows for sure. In California,
it is rather thin trunked - five to six inches thick. In tropical areas
it is more husky. Leaves are plumose with very thin leaflets. It likes
heat and full sun. This might be a good thing for those of you in
inland areas. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F.

TEN DAY SPECIAL: 20% OFF ANY SIZE THIS SPECIES

We have available as shown 5g, band size and
perhaps a few of the 15g left.

This tall and thin trunked fan palm comes from
Central Queensland, Australia, where it is found among Eucalyptus
forests in full sun. Heights have been reported up to one hundred
feet. It has deeply divided leaves with thin leaflets. These leaflets
droop at their ends. It does respond to ample water with faster
growth. Reports are that this species is quite cold hardy, into about
the upper teens. I've read anecdotes of this plant surviving in the
Atlanta, GA area. To we "old timers", this species was previously known
as Livistona Carnavon Gorge, referring to its native locality.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $50

Just mention this Blog Special at time of
purchase to get this discount. BTW, these 5g are nice size and chunky
at the base.

This interesting Asian species rarely gets over
ten feet tall, suckers, has Caryota type leaflets with jagged ends and
is silver on the underside of the leaflets. Its blossoms are super
fragrant (a nice treat). It takes sun or shade in coastal areas and is
cold hardy into the upper teens F. On sale are nice 1g plants.

This Asian palm is quite attractive with its
large and flat green leaves. It is slow growing. The 1g on special
here are 3 years old and very nice. This plant takes full or part day
sun and is cold hardy into the teens F. Many have grown this species as
a houseplant. Easy to ship. BTW, this price is the same as a band yet
these 1g are three times larger.

I enjoy talking
about this species because it is one of my favorites. It is a large
species over time. I say 'user friendly" because this is one of the few
species that has absolutely no spines; none of the leaflets, none one
the stems. A leaf brushing across your face feels no more intense than
brushing past a Maiden Hair Fern. We have a huge selection of this
species. I am going to show you an assortment of plants. Below are a
few of the main characteristics of this species:

This South African cycad is almost never seen
available in the size shown here. This plant has a twelve inch caudex.
It has classic thin leaflets. Leaf color is blue to blue-green. Crowns
of leaves are not overly large. It loves sun and heat and want full sun
along the coast. Cold tolerance is almost down to 20 degrees f. The
container size on this plant is 25g. Leaf length of this species is
about four feet although trunks can get over ten feet tall in
centuries. Of note, collectors call this species "EFG".

This is a fan palm you will hardly ever see
available and never on special. It is native to Hispaniola and reaches
a mature height of about 30 feet. But, in contrast to so many other
Copernicia, the trunk is quite thin. It is usually nine inches
thick or less. Leaves are green and flat. Segments of the leaf are only
separated at their ends so that the leaf has a solid flat appearance.
New leaves are held upright and appear rigid. There is a bit of blue on
the leaf stems as shown here. Old retained leaf bases fall off over
time to give a clean trunk. Petioles do have armor.

This is a full sun palm. It's so rare to know of
anyone growing this that we have little cold hardiness data. I'd
estimate it'll go into the twenties F. On sale are very nice 5g
plants. I've shown close ups of a fruiting size tree; pictures I took
recently.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE $55

But, remember to mention this Blog Only Special
to get this price when purchasing.

This rare, single trunk, crown shafted pinnate
palm is from the western side of the High Plateau in the country of
Madagascar. There it grows at elevations of almost a mile high. Trunk
diameter is about eight to ten inches and mature trunk height is
variable, from thirty to fifty feet. The leaves are tristichous, in
three planes. There are very few plants left in habitat due to
deforestation and it has been said that the only chance for this species
to survive is through garden propagation.

This plant was dug from a So Cal garden last week. It had been growing
in northern SD County for over five year and thriving in sun. It is in
a 20g pot. It is for sale although a waiting period might be in order.
This is one of several super rare palms that will be coming in from this
collection over the next few weeks.

Dypsis oropedionis by J. Dransfield
Palmpedia

Dypsis oropedionis by J. Dransfield
Palmpedia

TRACHYCAPRUS TAKIL
A RARE TYPE OF WINDMILL PALM
PERHAPS THE MOST COLD HARDY WINDMILLTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

This single trunk and sought after fan palm from
northern India and Nepal is felt by many to be the most cold hardy of
any Windmill Palm. It gets to a height of thirty to forty feet and is
morphologically different from T. fortunei. I won't get into
these distinctions other than to say that there is a finer and more tidy
display of brown hairs on the upper trunk below the leaves and the
ligula in the leaf's center is triangular and often "off center'. The
seed source for these plants on sale was Tobias Spanner (who also
provided the picture below). These are easy to ship and should take
temperatures into the single digits F. with ease.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $35TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $27.50

Remember: Mention this Blog Only Special for your discount when you
purchase.

Photo by MG and TS

TRACHYCARPUS MARTIANUS
SINGLE TRUNK FAN PALM
ANOTHER HIGH ELEVATION PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

In more recent times, it's been fairly difficult
to find this species of Windmill Palm from northeastern India and
China. There it grows at elevations up to 7500 feet. But, it is not as
cold hardy as T. takil above. As it ages, it gets a bare
trunk, old leaves falling away. The hallmarks of this species are the
markedly divided leaves and the white clumps of hairs that are on the
leaf stems. Remember the latter and you'll always spot it in nurseries.
It is a medium growth rate palm for sun along the coast. Cold hardiness
is into the lower 20's or perhaps the upper teens F. We have a limited
supply of 5 gallon plants available.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $52.50

Just mention this Blog Only Special for your discount when you purchase.

This single trunk, crown shafted and pinnate
palm species is native to the Walsh Mountains in Queensland, Australia.
It is a good growing palm that reaches a height of about 30 feet. I
don't think it's quite as cold hardy as the regular King Palm, but will
go down to about 25 degrees F. It is also a bit smaller in overall size
compared to the regular King. Be aware that the crown shaft is never
"lollipop purple". If you see such photos on line, the color has been
altered. What you see below is a typical crown shaft color for our
area. The 5G size which I have on sale are just showing the crown shaft
purple. I only have several for sale. But, we do have smaller plants
for sale.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $55

Remember: Mention this Special when you buy.

COCCOTHRINAX CRINITA VARIETY
BREVICRINAS
A RARE FORM OF THE OLD MAN PALM
NATIVE TO CUBATEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

The palm species shown here is the more
rare form of Coccothrinax crinita. Both the regular C. crinita and this
form are native to Cuba. This form is said to have shorter hairs on the
trunk and to be a little bit more "neat" appearing. For anyone who has
grown one of the Old Man Palms, the one thing you'll agree on is how
slow they are. The seedlings here are three to four years old. One
suffers through "blades of grass" for the first two years or more.
Finally palmate leaves appear as shown here. This is a dwarf species,
unlikely to get over ten feet. It loves sun and heat and is cold hardy
somewhere into the mid-teens F. And, by the way, those fibers/hairs
covering the trunk are its hallmark. The pictures of the mature plants
below are of the regular crinita - no reliable photos are available for
this variety as it is so rare.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $35TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $27.50

Remember: Mention this Blog special!

ENCEPHALARTOS EUGENE-MARAISII
SPECIAL & SUPER RARE SPECIES
FROM THE TRANSVAAL REGION
THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICASPECIMEN FROM PRIVATE COLLECTIONCAUDEX 8 INCHES

Among cycad enthusiasts, this
species is coveted and very hard to find with any size. The plant
shown here
is quite large to be offered at a nursery. It also came from the
collection we have been acquiring. It has an 8 inch caudex.
It was dug. The grower told me that, every year it's about to
throw new leaves, the older leaves go a bit funky as shown here.
Then it explodes with gorgeous new leaves. I think this is from
the plant's stealing nutrition from the old leaves to make the new
leaves. We did trim off a few leaves when digging.

This is a full sun species that is of medium
size mature. Leaves are blue or blue-green. A very old plant
gets an oerall height of about five to six feet. It wants sun and
is cold hardy into the lower 20's F. This plant is for sale.

This medium to tall fan palm is native to
southeast Asia. It can get to heights of thirty-five feet or more. It
is an interesting palm that is easy to grow and has a very ornamental
leaf with deep divisions of the segments. Its segment almost make a
complete circle. Leaf color is green. The spines on the petioles tend
to be dark in color and dramatic, usually the thing most people remember
most about this species. It is a sun species and cold hardy into the
mid-twenties at least. The 15g on sale is good sized.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $150

Just mention this Blog Special for this price when you purchase.

Note prominent spines - with maturity, they get
a lot bigger and more ferocious.

Note: Seed color is blue

DIOON MEROLAESUPER SLOW GROWING MEXICAN CYCADLEAVES GRAY-GREEN
IN A LIFETIME, NEVER VERY BIG TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 1 GALLON PLANTS

This may prove to be the perfect cycad
that one can buy when he wants an easy to grow sun species that, in his
lifetime, will never get too big. It's estimated that, in 40 years,
you'll not get a trunk more than about 2 feet tall. The old boxed
nursery specimens shown here are "pre-cites" plants that were brought
into the US in the early 1970's. The plant below in La Habra was
planted 30 years ago. The last picture by JO shows a plant in the wild
in Mexico that is estimated to be 1000 years old. So, you get the point
- slow growing!

We're offering 1 gallon at a great price. These are nice plants with
some size for the container. They are 3 to 4 years old. This species
easily takes full sun on the coast and is cold hardy to about 20 degrees
F.

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON $40
Just mention this Special for your Discount. We also have available 5g,
15g and boxes (very old) but these are not on sale right now.

Boxed specimen at nursery

Very old specimen at nursery

Leaf close up on 5g nursery plant

Another boxed specimen at nursery

leaf close up view

Garden specimen in La Habra, CA

Habitat specimen, by JO. Age perhaps
1000 years

ENCEPHALARTOS
LEHMANNIIEASTER CAPE BLUE CYCADDID YOU EVER WANT TO GET ONE ON SALE?
FULL SUN, NEVER VERY BIGTEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 1 GALLON SIZE

One of the most popular blue cycads that
we sell is this South African species from the Eastern Cape region
(toward the ocean). It is a very slow growing species that, in fifty
years, is rarely over a height of five feet tall. So, like the
Dioon above, it'll always stay small and not obstruct a view. The
color is intensely blue. I tell people it's like the color of a clear
blue sky after you've thrown in a tiny bit of fog. The other thing
about this species, compared to E. horridus and trispinosus,
is that it's much less spiny and very uniform in shape when mature.
Expect a trunk of no more than three feet and a crown width of no more
than six feet. It loves full sun on the coast and is cold hardy to
about 22 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE 1G SIZE $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G SIZE $55
Remember: You must mention this Blog Only Special for this discount when
you buy. This size is a piece of cake to ship. We also have available
5g, 15g and boxes but these are not on sale right now.

15 gallon nursery plant, not on sale right
now

Boxed nursery specimen

close up of leaf

Another 15g nursery plant

Another

ENCEPHALARTOS
TRANSVENOSUS X WOODIIA HUGE CYCAD CROSSED WITH AN EXTINCT CYCADWILL MAKE POWERFUL AND IMPRESSIVE GREEN SPECIMENTEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON SIZE OF THIS RARE HYBRID

This is one of the most rare and sought
after hybrid cycads in the world. Encephalartos woodii is
extinct in the wild. Only one original male plant is known to exist.
It is located in Durban Botanical Garden in South Africa. Pups, over
the years, have been removed. Any plant in the world in any location
came from this original male plant. As we have no females, there has
been intense work on using woodii pollen on other female
Encephalartos cones. Usually the female cone is Encephalartos
natalensis. But, the prettiest of all the hybrids is with E.
transvenosus. This is the cross I'm offering on sale here.

These are almost impossible to find!

It'll make a large cycad for sure. I've seen pictures of E.
transvenosus with over 20 feet of vertical trunk. They look like a
Canary Island Palm. This cross will be quick growing, green in color
and will have a huge crown of leaves. Leaflets will be wide and have
those noticeable wide barbs characteristic of E. woodii. It'll
take coastal full sun and tolerate down to about 22 degrees F. The one
gallon on special are three to four years old and very nice.

PREPARING A LARGE PLANT FOR SHIPPING
AND, IN A FRAGILE CERAMIC POT
HOW WE DO IT
KNOW OF ANOTHER NURSERY THAT GIVES THIS MUCH CARE TO SHIPPING?

We continually get comments from
customers of shipped plants on what an excellent and profession job we
do with our shipping. And, I must admit, this is true. Case in point:
The plant shown here was a rare caudiciform bonsai in a fragile 20 inch
ceramic pot. The customer bought this plant in the pot. He lives in
Massachusetts. So, we had to figure out how to ship it without breaking
the nice container. The pictures here show how we did it.

First, we used a plastic pot a little big bigger than the ceramic pot.
We lowered the plant pot into the surrounding plastic pot. We then
wrapped and padded the ceramic pot to absorb an impact. We then stuffed
paper balls above the dirt and attached four vertical boards to the
height of the plant. We then applied a lot of tape to stabilize it.
After this we took a heavy duty box and lowered the plant into the box.
We telescopically slid another box from above to go on the outside of
the first box. These two boxes were then securely taped together with
extra duct tape over the most vulnerable area in the lower box (that's
where they rupture if the box is dropped on its bottom). We put on our
shipping labels and, on the outside of the box, applied copies of about
ten Agriculture Permits. Then we delivered it down to Federal Express.
We shipped this today and by 5PM it'll be on its way.

It took two men an hour to do this. Does another nursery do this kind
of shipping? Let me know who and I'll congratulate them. Only once or
twice a year out of many hundred shipments do we have any damage to the
box or plant. Compare this to most nurseries that bang the root
ball to
free up soil and throw it in a box. I guess one gets what he pays for.

This green cycad is native to the Natal District of South Africa.
There is grows on sandstone cliffs at an elevation of 3000 feet.
Typically mature trees have trunks of four to six feet with leaves of
four to five feet. It is most similar to E. lebomboensis in
appearance. The bands we have on sale have three leaves.
This species tolerates full or half day sun and is cold hardy into the
lower 20's F.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $45TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $37.50Remember to mention this Blog Special before you buy!

Photo by Wayne Atkinson Arkive

SATURDAY, 25 JUNE, 2016

DYCKIA SPECIES
A SOUTH AMERICAN BROMELIAD
LOVES ARID, DRY LOCATIONS
SUPER RED IN SUNTEN DAY SPECIAL DYCKIA CLUSTERS

Dyckia is a genus of the
Bromeliad family and is native to Brazil and central South America.
There are over 150 different species. These plants are from high
altitude, fairly rugged, like sun and heat and live in rocky, sort of
undesirable, locations. They are a terrestrial plant and not
epiphytic in trees. Thus, their roots actually grow in the soil.
This is different than almost all other Bromeliads. The plants
shown here are pretty old and have suckered. The reason people
like them is because they take dry and hot conditions and shown a
prominent red color in bright sun.

REGULAR PRICE THESE Dyckia $55TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE PLANTS $40

These are easy to ship and should be cold hardy into the low 20's or
below.

MONDO GRASS
AKA "MONKEY GRASS"
THREE DIFFERENT TYPES FOR SALE
BLACK, SILVER (VARIEGATED) AND GREEN
ALL DWARF GROUND COVERSTEN DAY SPECIAL OLD 1G SIZE

These dwarf and stem-less grasses come from Asia.
They are members of the Ophiopogon genus. The primary
reason people seek them out is that they are a very easy to use ground
cover. They can be used on a garden perimeter, next to a walk
way, between stepping stones or on top of a pot's soil where another
plant is growing. You can imagine the possibilities. They
are never over a foot tall. They are difficult to locate for sale
and are usually sort of expensive. We are lucky enough to offer
three different types: green, white/silver and black. The
black form is the slowest growing. They do eventually fill in an
area but don't run. They take coastal sun or part day sun inland
and are cold hardy into the upper teens F.

Of the three, the black is the hardest to find. The silver is
actually a green and white variegate form but shows as "silver".
We have limited numbers available but may be able to order more in large
numbers.

This and next 2 pictures green variety

Black Mondo grass

This and next 2 pictures the silver Mondo

Photo of green Mondo Grass from Houzz.com website

DIOON MEROLAE
NEW FLUSH OF LEAVES
SEVERAL EXAMPLES
SUPER SOFT TO THE TOUCH

A few days ago I discussed this gorgeous
Mexican cycad. At our nursery, many plants are throwing new leaves
right now. The first three pictures show the softest of new leaves
emerging. There are two dozen of them coming out. The next
plant has leaves further along, about four feet long. The last
picture shows full sized leaves that look mature but are still soft to
the touch and very fragile. It is important to remember that new
cycad leaves will "twirl" if you move the pot. They are oriented
to the sun. If you change the plant's sun orientation, the leaves
twirl to adjust to sunlight. So, don't move a cycad that throwing
new leaves. Obviously, this is a problem of plants in pots that
can be moved and not plants firmly rooted into the garden soil.

This sought after and rare form of the Windmill
Palm comes from northern India where it lives at altitudes great than a
mile high. It is known for it's wide leaflet segments (compared to
other Windmills). Mature height can reach forty feet. It
tolerates full sun along the coast. It's leaves are firm and leather
like. Cold hardiness is into the upper teens. It's not as
cold hardy as T. fortunei.

I wanted to show you another stunning
cycad we acquired from a private collection this week.
Encephalartos lehmannii is from the Eastern Cape region of the Republic
of South Africa. It is one of the "Basic Four" blue cycads
(E. lehmannii, princeps, trispinosus and horridus) from
that region. It is not an overly large cycad. Trunk size of
three feet would be huge for this species and would take many decades to
grow to this size. Leaves are typically
four, sometimes five feet long. Leaflets have no marginal spines
but come to a point. Leaves have a downward curve when viewed from
the side. But, most dramatic is the silver-blue color shown
here. This plant is in a 25 gallon pot and has a 12 inch caudex.
It is just remarkable to see in person and would make a fine addition to
an upscale garden. This plant was dug with a great rootball.
On the coast it wants full sun and is cold hardy to 22 degrees F.

CYCAS PETREA
FROM THE MOUNTAINS IN NORTHERN THAILAND
SUPER COLD HARDY FOR A CYCAS
LARGE SPECIMEN JUST IN

This attractive cycad comes
from high elevation in mountains of northern Thailand. There is
sees temperatures well below a freeze and in habitat often sees snow.
It is found in the Loei Mountains (Thailand's tallest mountains) near
the border with Laos. It is probably the most cold hardy of the
Thai Cycas. Mature trunk height is about six feet.
The trunk is swollen at the base. You can appreciate that with
these pictures. This species was named about two decades ago and
is new to collectors. Leaves are a glossy green and about five
feet long. This specimen was dug from the private collection this
week. It should transplant quite well. It is in a 25 gallon
container and has a caudex of about 10 x 12 inches. It was being
grown in part day sun. Interestingly enough, this plant was
purchased from our nursery about ten years ago, so it's nice to have it
back.

This Lily is native to all
sorts of locations throughout the world including southern Asia,
Australia, and Africa. It is known for it's spiraling display of
long, heavy substance leaves that are upright and four to six feet long.
Their color is green and dark purple. Flowers are white with
purple centers and markings. It grows like other Lilies by making
offset tubers that make new plants. The specimens we obtained were
dug from a collection and have been divided. They do quite well
with this. Expect a mature height of six to seven feet, definitely
overhead. As mentioned, they clump and form a great display of
foliage. They will not "run" or take over an area. The
plants we have in are in 15 and 25 gallon containers and quite full.
They are for sale. We have none smaller. They tolerate full
or part day coastal sun and can take a freeze. Temperatures in the
20 to 25 degree range will damage the foliage but plants reappear in the
spring.

A week or two ago I told you about this
dwarf tropical plant that will survive in filtered light and bloom in
the late spring. At that time, the blossoms were not apparent. Well,
look at these guys now! They put out huge clusters of huge pink
flowers. Other varieties have different colors but this has to be a
favorite. They typically get to a height of five feet or less and throw
long lasting blossoms. Filtered light is perfect although along the
coast they can take full sun. Cold hardiness is into the twenties F.
Plants are about as wide as they are tall and make a wonderful and
colorful addition to the garden floor. You'll not see this plant around
too much. I can mail order these plants via Federal Express.
Plants are in 7g and 15g pots, both the same price.

REGULAR PRICE 7G/15G $150TEN DAY SPECIAL SAME $120

Remember to mention this Blog
Only Special when you purchase.

VARIEGATED
DURANTA ERECTATHE SAPHIRE SHOWER TREE15G AVAILABLE
SOME IN FLOWER RIGHT NOW!TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

Native to the West Indies, this medium sized tree
has sapphire-purple clusters of florid blossoms that are very prominent
when in full bloom. It can get to a height of 15 to 20 feet and
tolerates full sun along the coast. Cold tolerance is into the mid to
lower 20's F. It's quick growing. The 15g plants we have available are
huge - way overhead and almost as wide as they are tall. They are just
about to show full color blossoms. For spring and summer color, this
plant is a winner.

This attractive species can be grown as a bush or
a tree, depending on how you prune it. Most of the year it shows off
its purple to copper colored leaves. It can be pruned to be very thick
and full or allowed to reach in different directions and be more open.
If you get to the mid-thirties F. or less, it may go deciduous on you
and drop its leaves. Normally we only have 15g available but presently
have a small number of shippable 5g plants as shown today. This species
tolerates full sun in most areas. Our 15g are very nice size, well
overhead!

As many of you know, we are always
bringing in colorful tropical plants on a regular basis. Today I want
to show you some plants you'll hardly ever see for sale. A friend of
the nursery has been collecting Bromeliads for many years. He has
decided to sell his home and move. The new owner doesn't particularly
like plants. So, our friend asked us if we wanted plants from his
private collection - all sorts of types of plants. This included rare
species of Bromeliads shown here and in all colors of the rainbow.
Literally, he had collected several hundreds species, varieties or
hybrids. And, they were mostly in full sun in his north San Diego
County location. We just got them in. Commercially grown
Bromeliads are always the same. Plants shown here are only from
die-hard collectors.

On most, there's just one of each type, perhaps
two or three. He went more for diversity than numbers. We will not be
able to give you species/varietal names as none were tagged. But, it's
all in the eyes of the beholder. All of them are great. Don't wait too
long to come by and see these gorgeous plants. And, I guarantee you
that, unless you visit rare collectors of Bromeliads, that you'll not
see these for sale anywhere. A final note: We hope that there's more
of these of different types in the next few days.

This week we also acquired about a dozen cycads
from a private collection. This coning sized E. cerinus was
among this group. Known as a dwarf cycad with green to blue green
leaves, this plant doesn't get a caudex much over eight inches and a
height of four, perhaps maximum five feet. It is native to South
Africa. On photo shows the old male cone. Caudex diameter is
8 inches. It's in a 20g container. It was dug from the
ground with an excellent and pronounced root system. It is
available for sale. It wants sun and is cold hardy into the low
20's F.

A spent male cone

ENCEPHALARTOS NATALENSIS
NICE FORM WITH WIDE, UN-ARMED LEAFLETS
ABOUT A
TEN INCH CAUDEX
NEW TO NURSERY

We also got in a fine specimen of
Encephalartos natalensis. I like this particular plant
because of the somewhat short and unarmed leaflets. They are a
tiny bit cupped and come to a blunt tapered point at the end. This
species is native to northern parts of the Eastern Cape in South Africa.
There are at least six distinct varieties of this species.
Anticipate a mature height in quite a few decades to be over ten feet.
Leaves are usually five to six feet long. It likes full sun and is
cold hardy to the low 20's F. Most people find this to be an easy
to grow and fast growing species. The plant shown here was dug,
put into a 20 gallon pot and has a caudex of 9.5 to 10 inches. We
do not know the sex. It came from full sun and has a clean,
lighter green leaflet color. I find it to be very attractive.

All cycad enthusiasts and growers have their
favorites species of any given genus. For Dioons, this species and
Dioon merolae below are two of my favorites. I love the merolae
for it's pure and elegant beauty. I really like the califanoi
because there is something different, sort of weird and alluring about
it. Note the long yet narrow leaves. These leaves are
strongly keeled with spined leaflets. There's a strong yellow
central vein and a tiny bit of arching to the leaves. The leaves
aren't green but rather a different blue-green. This plant has a
five to six inch caudex and was dug. It is native to Mexico.
It wants full sun and is cold hardy probably to about 20 to 22 degrees
F. Most find it to be slow growing. So, a plant like this is
at least ten years old.

DIOON MEROLAE
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CYCAD!
JUST IN - PLANT WITH SEVEN INCH CAUDEX
DISTINCT COLOR IN SUN

We also got in another favorite of mine - Dioon
merolae. This plant is shown in the first 5 pictures here and has
a seven inch caudex. We put it into a 15 gallon pot. This
species for most people will never really get that tall. The boxed
plants shown below at the nursery are over a century old. In the
wild I've seen pictures from Mexico where trunks are over ten feet, some
leaning and almost decumbent. Leaves are about 4 to 5 feet long.
They are very gently keeled having reflexed downwards leaflets (reminds
me of a seagull in cross section) with tiny spines on the leaflets.

But, the beautiful thing is that the leaflets are
stacked and
overlapping. Leaf color is more of a green in filtered
light and a soapy gray green in the sun. You can see the various
colors here. I've seen new throws of leaves emerge almost white!
Almost everyone who sees this species loves it. We have a pretty nice offering of larger plants for those of you who are
doing upscale landscape. Also, we have lots of smaller plants for
sale. It wants full sun and is cold hardy to the low 20's F.

TILLANDSIA CLUSTERS
BIG BUNCHES OF SMALLER BROMELIADS
THEY WILL FLOWERTEN DAY SPECIAL

Tillandsias are a type of Bromeliad
that survive on a little water and fertilizer and root onto whatever
they can. In nature, Tillandsias form clumps that
are usually attached to tree trunks or limbs. Many people will
mount these air plants onto their palm trunks, fences, poles or
wherever. You usually have to buy a small plant and wait for a
decade to have a cluster as shown here. We're selling clusters
with about a dozen plants. And, right now, they are on sale.
This species will have either blue or red blossoms. I don't have a
species name for you. Most people attach them with fishing line -
but don't tightly circle a trunk or you could girdle it. These
little guys are very cool. And, I can ship them right to your door.

North of Madagascar is a chain of islands called
the Comoros Islands. This is the native habitat for this different
species of Bismarckia. It is different for several reasons.
First, it comes from a much more moist and windy locality than its blue
cousin from Madagascar. In the latter locality it is super hot and
dry. Secondly, the leaf color on this species is blue green, not blue
as most of you are used to. Third, the seeds have a different shape
with flanges. Lastly, there is a lot of red in this plant. You see it
on the spear and petiole. Sometimes it's a pink color.

Shown here is an older 15g plant of
Bismarckia Mayotte Island. I am putting this size on special.
These plants are quite chunky and sun grown. They have even seen
temperatures of 102 degrees F. in a spring Santa Ana and did ok with
that. Cold tolerance is into the low 20's F. Limited numbers of this
rare palm remain in our inventory. So, if you are a "Madagascar Nut"
and want to try different things, get one while I have them.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $185TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE 15G $145

Just mention this Blog Special at the time of purchase for your
discount.

Another plant showing red color

DIOON
HOLMGRENIIRARE
MEXICAN DIOON CYCADLARGE 15G AND 25G PLANTSSUPER TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE TWO
SIZES

Among cycad enthusiasts, this species is known as
one of the more rare Mexican cycads to find. But, finding good sized
Dioon holmgrenii right now on the market is almost impossible.
Shown here are some plants we just got in. They are both at least ten
years old and in 15g and 25g pots. The larger ones have caudex sizes of
about nine inches. You never see plants like this on sale.

This species loves hot sun. It has a cold
tolerance down to about 20 to 22 degrees F. It grows at a medium rate.
It is known for the fact that it has long and upright leaves. Leaf
color is blue green.

I only have a few of these. You must mention this
special when purchasing to get these prices. And, you'll note these
prices are a bit lower than last time I got these beauties in.

25 gallon size

15 gallon size

CHAMAEDOREA RADICALIS
THE REGULAR FORM
DOESN'T FORM A TRUNK
NICE 5G TRIPLES!
SUPER COLD HARDYTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

Speaking of cold hardy, filtered light palms, two days ago we got in a batch of super
nice, outdoor grown Chamaedorea radicalis. This is the original form of
this species that we "old timers" knew as the true thing. They
don't form a trunk. The get to a height of about three to four
feet and the blossoms (male or female) surge up above the leaves with
bright orange flower stalks and, if a female, big black seeds.
It's super impressive. The plants shown here are three per pot in
a 5g. Note the darker green leaves, the wider leaflets and the
short stature. The "trunking" form (one photo below) has thinner leaves, leaves are
gray-green, and it rapidly forms a trunk. Both are filtered light
or part day sun plants with cold hardiness of 18 degrees F. Along
with the C. microspadix above, these are easily being grown in colder
areas like San Francisco and Houston, TX. I can mail order these
plants. Limited numbers available.

Chamaedorea radicalis is the most cold
hardy species of the Chamaedorea genus. It will go down to
about 18 degrees. There is a trunking form of this dwarf palm that
forms some trunk and gets to about 8 feet tall. This form is what's on
sale today. It'd probably prefer strong filtered light or morning sun.
We don't know if it's cold hardiness is identical to the dwarf,
trunkless form. However, it is known for its more narrow leaves.
You'll notice that, just like the dwarf form, it throws blossoms at a
younger age.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE THIS SPECIES $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $50

Just mention this Blog Special to get your
discount when ordering. BTW, it should make a great houseplant as well.

BECCARIOPHOENIX ALFREDIIDESIRABLE LARGE MADAGASCAR PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 2G SIZE

This was the third and most recently described
species of Beccariophoenix and is quite possibly the easiest to
grow of the three and with the most cold hardiness. It makes a medium
to large palm with a think trunk and a dense crown of leaves. As shown,
the base of the leaf stems form an interesting arrangement. There are
reports of this species growing in the SF Bay area. It is a sun or part
day sun plant. Estimated cold hardiness is into the low 20's F. Among
collectors, this is a very hot species to obtain. We're offering our 2g
plants on ten day special.

REGULAR PRICE 2G SIZE $50TEN DAY SPECIAL $42.50

You must mention this Blog only special when purchasing. Easy to mail
order.

This smaller fern species is native to the Pacific
Islands, Asia and Africa. It gets leaves about a foot long and
forms a small clump. This particular species has prominently
variegated leaflets than are white on green as shown. It is a
filtered light plant that wants adequate water. We only have this
one size which we've put on special. Of note, this species does
well in terrariums.

REGULAR PRICE 1G $25TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G $15

Just remember to mention this Special when purchasing. These
likewise are easy to ship.

DRYOPTERIS
ERYTHROSORA
THE AUTUMN FERNTEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON PLANTS

This is a cold hardy species of small fern that is
known for it's copper-red leaves. The plants shown here are
showing a bit of color. But, the red is most prominent in the
spring on new leaves. This species will make a very nice colorful
ground cover. It wants filtered light and average water. It
is a very popular species for adding color to the garden and is
reasonably cold hardy.

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $25TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE
$15

It's a piece of cake to mail. Just mention this Special for your
discount.

LOQUAT FRUIT TREEERIOBOTRYA JAPONICA
FRUITS IN LATE WINTER
YELLOW FRUITS WITH TROPICAL TASTETEN DAY SPECIAL TWO SIZES!

When I was a child, I remember walking
down the alleys of my neighborhood with friends. I grew up in the
San Joaquin Valley in Central California. It seemed like
everywhere there were Loquat Trees with their delicious fruit
hanging over the fences - ripe for easy picking. And, it was
always the first fruit available for us when we began to thaw from
winter. Exact origination of this tree is not known but it is felt
to probably be from China. It has been cultivated for a thousand
years in Japan. It is evergreen in most areas, not dropping its
foliage.
Trees get to about 15 feet typically with dull green leaves. From
a local tropical fruit grower we have gotten in both 5g and 15g plants.
By the way, if you haven't tried it, you must. The taste is exotic
and different. They have large central seeds. Cold hardiness
is estimated to be in the low 20's F. and it likes full sun.

KALANCHOE BAHARENSIS
THE VELVET ELEPHANT EAR PLANT
SMALL TREE TYPE OF SUCCULENT
NATIVE TO MADAGASCAR
SORT OF BIZARRE APPEARINGTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This small to medium sized succulent has silver
gray leaves with a thin trunk and mature height of ten to fifteen feet.
Leaves are thick to the touch and soft. They feel somewhat furry.
When you bend a leaf then can snap and have a thickness to them.
Leaves are undulating and somewhat triangular shaped. Flowers
appear in winter and are yellow. It'll take full sun or part
shade. Cold hardiness is into the upper twenties F.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $55TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $40

Just mention this Blog Special for your
discount.

CHAMAEDOREA PLUMOSA
THE BABY QUEEN PALM
SINGLE THIN TRUNK
LOOK BEST IN GROUPSTEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON SIZE

For anyone who's looked for this species lately,
you realize it's in very short supply and essentially unavailable in
larger sizes. This is because of a several year shortage of seeds. We
are pleased to presently put nice one gallon plants on special. All are
multiples with at least 3 plants per pot. This species gets up to about
14 feet height with a green, ringed trunk about 1.5 inches in diameter.
The leaves are plumose or fluffy. They are quick growing and perfect
for narrow planter areas. It will take full coastal sun. Cold
hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. It can also be used as a
houseplant in a bright area. This one gallon size is a piece of cake to
ship and we can easily fit four plants into one box. We ship plants in
their pots with soil.

For about six to eight years I've been growing a
nice species of Alocasia. Originally, I though this was
Alocasia macrorhyza. But, it didn't quite match up. Recently a
customer who specializes in Alocasia contacted me and told me these are
A. portora. It get leaves about 3 feet long with an overall
arrowhead shape. Leaf edges are scalloped. Leaf stems are either
silver green or brown-green. It is very pretty and seems to attain a
height of about 5 to 6 feet from the ground. It does cluster but
doesn't appear to "run". It's an ideal companion plant with dark green
leaves in shade and a lighter green in coastal sun. People love this
plant! I'm offering them on a 10 day special. I have no smaller plants
and only a half dozen of these guys. They are older plants with lots of
tubers and stems. Cold tolerance is below a freeze. These plants have
seen 28 degrees here and may be more cold hardy than this.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $200TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $150

Just remember - mention this Blog Special for
your discount. I can mail order these plants.

Photo by Austinbotany Website

SABAL MEXICANA
MEDIUM TO TALL FAN PALM TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

At one time this species was much more prevalent
in Texas, but in recent times its numbers have dwindled. Native habitat
extends from Texas down through Latin America on both coastal sides of
these countries. In habitat, specimens up to fifty feet have been
observed. Trunks are straight and columnar. Trunk diameter is
typically twelve to eighteen inches. Most domestic plants are in the
twenty to thirty foot range. Old leaf bases are retained in the upper
trunk area but will fall way with age. The crown is green with a hint
of silver and full. This species is similar to Sabal palmetto
but usually bigger with a larger crown of leaves. Like the Palmetto
Palm, it is very cold hardy, perhaps even to ten degrees F.

Shown here are some 5g plants which I'm putting on special. I've also
shown a 15g and some garden plants. This is a full sun species and a
great selection for someone in a colder area.

Just yesterday we got in
a nice collection of massive 24 inch Mule Palms. For those who
don't know, this amazing hybrid doesn't look like either parent.
The seed bearing parent has to be the Butia capitata. The pollen
donar is the Queen Palm. The reverse doesn't produce a palm
anything close to the Mule Palm.

They are remarkable because they
are supper attractive. Some say they have a resemblance to a
Coconut. They also usually just get to 25 feet - compared to the
60 foot height of the Queen. And, they are very cold hardy - down
to about 16 degrees. I've got a customer in Tucson, AZ that can't
grow Queen Palms b/c they freeze in the winter. Our Mule Palms
thrive there. This hybrid tolerates desert sun. And, they
don't make any fruit to mess up your pool! This is why they are
called the "Mule" Palm. What a
combination of good qualities!

The plants we have are 12 feet tall with one foot thick bases. They
are lush and gorgeous. We can deliver them to you as they are
really too big for a smaller pickup truck. They will not last long. If the
qualities I mentioned above appeal to you, consider getting one or more
while we have them.

There's a story on how I
came across this interesting Bromelidad. I had a customer who
wanted to add the color orange to his garden and he wanted to do it with
Bromeliads. This led me to approaching a Bromeliad enthusiast.
He had a hybrid that has orange pups. It matures into a green and
white adult plant but suckers like crazy with orange offsets. So, I brought some in
and have been growing them. Mature height is about 30 inches or
more. They seem to be rugged and durable plants. Limited
supplies.

ENCEPHALARTOS SEEDLINGS
IN BANDS AND ONE GALLON
WHAT'S AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW
SOME SUPER RARE SPECIES
EASY TO SHIP!

This post is not meant to
educate you about Encephalartos. Rather, it's merely a
presentation of some of the smaller sizes of this genus that we have available right now.
A customer in Texas a week ago wanted one of every small sized Encephalartos
we had.
So, we went around the nursery pulling one gallon and band plants.
I'm showing about three dozen plants here. You'll note some are quite old for their container. A few are
probably over five years old. Only one or two are new seedlings.
So, shown here is what we found. We did miss a few so the list
available is probably greater than shown with pictures. But, this is what I
photographed. Our customer did buy his starter collection.
But, many are left for you. Just call us and we'll give you the best
prices we can. We've been around for a long time and I guarantee
you we have the best selection of rare cycads in all sizes anywhere in
the U.S.

Encephalartos aemulans

Encephalartos altensteinii

Encephalartos aplanatus

Encephalartos arenarius

Encephalartos bandula

Encephalartos bubalinus

Encephalartos caffer

Encephalartos cerinus

Encephalartos chimanimaniensis

Encephalartos concinnus

Encephalartos eugene-maraisii

Encephalartos ferox

Encephalartos ferox curley leaf

Encephalartos gratus

Encephalartos hildebrandtii

Encephalartos horridus

Encephalartos kisambo

Encephalartos lanatus

Encephalartos lebomboensis

Encephalartos lehmannii

Encephalartos longifolius blue

Encephalartos longifolius
blunt tip

Encephalartos longifolius x horridus

Encephalartos manikensis

Encephalartos middelburgensis

Encephalartos msinganus

Encephalartos munchii

Encephalartos natalensis

Encephalartos natalensis x arenarius

Encephalartos natalensis x woodii

Encephalartos nubimontanus

Encephalartos pterogonus

Encephalartos senticosus

Encephalartos tagulaneus

Encephalartos transvenosus

Encephalartos transvenosus x woodii

Encephalartos trispinosus

Encephalartos turneri

Encephalartos umbeluziensis

Encephalartos whitelockii

Cycad seedling bench, one of about thirty benches

SUNDAY, 19 JUNE, 2016

SPECIMEN JUBAEA
CHILENSIS AVAILABLE TO BUY
THE CHILEAN WINE PALMMARKEDLY DISCOUNTED PRICE!NEED A CRANE BUT THEY DIG QUITE WELL

I am helping the owner of this mature Jubaea chilensis
who wishes to sell it. In case you don't remember, this palm has the
thickest trunk of any palm in the world. And, it's the most upscale and
expensive larger palm that is used on high end landscape projects. It
sort of looks like a Canary Palm but has no spines. It's felt to be
much more desirable than a Canary. The plant I'm presenting is in the
ground in the San Francisco Bay area and available right now. Mature
Chilean Wine Palms are never cheap to purchase. But, this seller is
willing to sell it for less than half the going retail price.

Call me
for details and pricing - you'll be pleased. But, remember that a
digging crew and crane will be needed. It's close to a street with what
appears to be good access for digging. It has approximately 20 feet of
woody trunk. Trunk diameter is about three feet. The plant available
is shown in the first five pictures here. Following are garden pictures
of other trees. There are so few mature specimens available of this
species, that it's quite typical for a dug plant to be transported quite
long distances to their eventual new home. And, if found through a
usual supplier, they'd be twice the price to you. So, this
tree is a great opportunity for someone.

Trees at Mission Bay Park, San Diego

Different specimen in garden

Specimen with some blue in leaves

LIRIOPE SPECIES
PURPLE FLOWERS
DWARF FOLIAGE PLANT
THE LILY TURFTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G

This is the first time we've
offered this dwarf and flowering shrub that possesses good cold
tolerance, takes full sun, doesn't get over about two feet tall and has
attractive purple blossoms. I do not have a species name for you but it
is in the genus Liriope. These plants are native to Japan,
Taiwan and China. They are sturdy, easy to grow and do not run. Leaves
are grass-like. They form easy to care for small clumps. Cold
hardiness is into the teens. Blossoms appear in August and September.
Shown here is the 5g size we're putting on special.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE
$32.50

photo c/o ozbreed.com.au website

THE KEY TO GROWING NEW
CALEDONIAN PALM SPECIES
IT'S ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU GIVE THEM

Over the past few decades, we have sold literally
a few thousand or more New Caledonian palms to all sorts of collectors
in many areas of Southern California. We always try to seek feedback
from customers as to how their palms do over time. We do this by later
calling or emailing them. From our decades of dong this, I can say that
a key factor to success in growing most New Caledonian species in our
area is giving them enough water. In areas in Florida, there's lots of
rain so this is hardly ever a problem. Here in Southern California,
that is not the case.

With water shortages, many time people try to cut back on their water
consumption. Many palm species tolerate this. But, species such as
Chambeyronia, Cyphophoenix, Basselinia and Burretiokentia
don't do well with water restriction. It is true that, close to the
ocean, Chambeyronia can take full sun. But, if you drastically
cut back water to them, they'll brown tip, look dry and not do well.
The solution is simply give them more water. I can't tell you how many
times this simple recommendation is what we give t customers.
Chambeyronia simply won't tolerate full sun if water restricted.
Providing you're not exposing them to too much cold, we've found that
inadequate water is the number one shortcoming is growing New Caledonian
species. If soil drainage is good, you can hardly over water these
species.

So, if you have some New Caledonian palms that aren't performing well,
give them more water. You'll probably see, over time, that they will do
a lot better. Below is a photo of Chambeyronia hookeri in full
sun, throwing a beautiful new red leaf over a roof in full sun in the
Inland Empire area of Southern California. For readers who don't know,
this is about forty miles from the ocean.

This New World fan palm is one of my favorites
because of the massively thick trunk which is white or very light tan in
color. Trunks look like freeway bridge pillars. It takes full sun and
is cold hardy well into the teens. It's very hard to locate this
species. It can get up to nearly fifty feet in height. We have nice 5g
on sale for ten days. We also have larger if you wish, but not on sale
right now.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL $50

You must mention this Blog only
price to get this special.

RECYCLE YOUR PLASTIC CONTAINERSNURSERY CREDIT FOR USED PLASTIC POTS

I like to remind plant enthusiasts to recycle
their plastic containers. We will take them and give you a credit
toward any purchase at the nursery. Or, if you just don't know
what to do with them and are conservative minded, drop them off at our
nursery location. We'll put them to good use. We've been
doing this for decades and think it's the right thing to do for the
environment. We are especially looking for larger pots, 15g and
bigger. We also really appreciate 7g and citrus pots.
However, tiny pots like 4 or 6 inch are not containers that we really
utilize.

So, don't clutter the environment by giving them to the garbage man or your local landfill.
Bring them to our nursery. We thank you in advance!

15 gallon pot

Array of pots starting with the band size on the
left and ending on the right with a 24 inch box

ALOCASIA "CAL - ODORA"UNUSUAL HYBRID DWARF ALOCASIA NEVER OVER FOUR
FEET TALLTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

We've found that customers love tropical appearing
leafy green plants for the garden. The problem with many Elephant Ear
Alocasias is that they get too big and tall. This hybrid was
developed to make a smaller, more petite plant. It has the typical
elephant ear shaped leaves. But, usually it's not above your waist line
in the garden. It propagates by making more underground tubers but does
not run.

It prefers part day sun or filtered light. Right along the coast here
it takes full sun. We have 15g and 5g plants available as shown here.
Cold tolerance is into the mid-twenties F. This is a very nice
companion plant for any garden.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5g SIZE
$45

Just remember to mention this Blog Only Special when purchasing to get
the discount.

15 gallon size

15 gallon size

5 gallon size

5 gallon size

BURRETIOKENTIA VIELLARDIITHE TIGER PALM

This single trunk, pinnate palm from New
Caledonia has become quite popular. Many find it difficult to locate,
but we have a nice assortment for sale. It is a medium sized plant,
perhaps 25 feet overall height when mature. The trunk is typically six
to eight inches thick. The crown shaft has interesting dark marks,
sometimes quite prominent. See the last photo below. This finding may
lighten with age. Growth rate is medium. It prefers part day sun or
filtered light inland. Cold hardiness is probably about 25 degrees F,
or a bit higher.

Shown here are several reasonably sized plants. Also shown are some
more mature plants. We have a limited number of seedlings through 15g
plant with perhaps a few larger. If you like this species, also
consider Burretiokentia koghiensis and hapala. They
are quite nice as well.

Called "Tiger Palm" because of the stripes on
the crown shaft, shown here

This fantastic Australian species of green cycad
has long leaves up to eight feet and absolutely no spines anywhere. The
leaflets are soft and you can rub them against your face. The petioles
are smooth. It does need room in the garden because of the size of the
leaves. Along the coast, some have successfully grown this plant in
full sun. But, most give it part day sun or filtered light. Cold
tolerance is about 20 degrees.

Shown here are an assortment of sizes from our
nursery. The first are a citrus pot. We have a pretty good selection
but are running out over time. It's near impossible to get seeds on
this species nowadays. Mail order is very easy.

This medium sized, crown shafted palm is native
to Lord Howe Island. There are four species of palms from this island.
The Kentia Palm is at the lowest altitude, near sea level. Next up the
mountains is the Howea belmoreana. Then, above the
belmoreana is Hedyscepe. Because of this, progressively
more cold tolerance (slight) is seen. When grown in part day sun or
strong filtered light, this species has a silver trunk. If grown in
sun, the silver is limited to the crown shaft. Leaves are curved and
keeled. Growth rate is slow. Cold tolerance is about 24 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE 1G THIS SPECIES $40TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G $32.50

Just mention this Blog Special at the time of
purchase to get this price.

This species of Date Palm is from India and
Pakistan and somewhat resembles the Canary Island Date Palm. But, the
trunk is much thinner, the crown is not as large and it is more rounded
in shape. Leaf color is blue-green. Overall height can reach forty to
fifty feet. This is a sun species in all areas with a cold tolerance
into the teens F.

We're offering nice 5g plants on special as
shown.

REGULAR PRICE THIS SPECIES 5G $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $50

Just mention this Special to get the discount
when purchasing.

15 gallon plant, not on sale

NEROGELIA, CLUSTERING RED FORM
MATURE SPECIMENS AVAILABLE
EASY TO GROW BOMELIADTEN DAY SPECIAL OLD PLANTS

For several years we've been offering this great
variety of Nerogelia for sale. These plants shown here
represent our season's arrivals and are all for sale. They develop a
prominent red leaf color if given some sun. These clusters have about
ten to fifteen individual small plants in each pot. They are quite
old.

They tolerate a freeze and are a good way to add color to the garden
without getting in the way. Care is quite easy. You simply prune off
the dying old plants each winter. Then, the next year, you have a
cluster twice as big from all the new pups. I can easily ship these
plants right to your door. Estimated age of these individual plants if
four, perhaps five years. It takes time to make big clusters like this.

REGULAR PRICE THESE PLANTS $55TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE
$45

But, at the time of purchase, you have to mention this Blog Only
Special.

I obtained seeds off a tree that is called
Sabal bermudana. Most taxonomists feel that this is Sabal
bermudana. But, I've kept the name princeps on these
plants so I remember where we got the seeds. It'll be thick trunked
and large leaf fan palm that loves sun and is cold hardy down to the
mid-teens F. This is an aggressive grower and fairly fast. It wants
heat and sun. Most who read this can grow this species.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $30TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $25OR 3 FOR $59

Just mention this Blog Special to get this
price.

ENCEPHALARTOS FEROXCYCAD WITH HOLLY FERN APPEARANCE AND RED CONESTEN DAY
SPECIAL 5G AND CIT POT SIZE

This South African cycad has the following
characteristics:

• Medium sized, never gets a vertical trunk,
leaves about five feet long
• Leaflets look like a holly fern leaf. Color is green. See photo
• Mature plants have red female cones. The male cones tend to be more
of an orange. They are striking as shown.
• Can tolerate filtered light or perhaps full sun right on the coast
• Cold tolerance to 22 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE CIT POT/5G PLANTS $150 TO $175TEN DAY SPECIAL ON MANY $135

We do have larger plants in these sizes that cost a bit more. We'd find
you a very nice one on special. You must mention this special to get
this price when purchasing.

This morning I'm showing you a nice nursery
specimen of a large green leaf cycad native to the Modjadji Forest in
South Africa. This fast growing cycad can, in a several decades in your
garden, produce a stem and large crown of leaves that are overhead. In
the wild they get over twenty feet tall after a few hundred years.
Leaves and quite long, up to six to eight feet. Color is a dark olive
green. They are a lighter green in full sun.

Leaflets have small spines that diminish in number as the plant
matures. There is a noticeable white, powdery "overspray" on the
leaflets. This is a light touch of glacous powder. This helps identify
this species. You can see it on the leaflet close up picture shown
here. This species tolerates full sun in almost all areas except the
desert. Cold tolerance is about 21 degrees F.

We have all sizes for sale from small juvenile plants to mature plants
with two feet of trunk. This boxed specimen shown here has about a 12
inch caudex. Note how the soil is low in the box. You might ask
"Why?". This is because this plant has been in its box for ten years.
Soil breaks down. When you check nursery plants, check the soil level.
If it's right to the top of the container, it's a newer repot. If it's
down low, it's been in the container a long time. Knowing this you can
estimate how rooted out the plant is.

Arenga engleri is native to various Asian
countries and typically doesn't get over ten feet tall in a garden. It
has firm leaflets and jagged leaflet tips. The underside of the
leaflets are silver as shown here. A mature clump typically has three
to six stalks and sometimes is almost as wide as it is tall. Therefore,
it's a good species to "hide the neighbor".

It takes shade or full sun along the coast and is cold hardy into the
upper teens F. It is very slow growing. This species is also known to
have very fragrant blossoms.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5
GALLON SIZE $50

Just mention this special to get this Blog Only price. Limited numbers
of this plant are available.

SATURDAY, 18 JUNE, 2016

ENCEPHALARTOS WHITELOCKII
LARGER CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD
LONG UPRIGHT LEAVESTEN DAY SPECIAL ANY 15G PLANT WE HAVE!

This unique and larger cycad is native to Uganda.
In fact, at one point it was called the "Uganda Giant Cycad". This
is because it has leaves that extend almost straight up toward the sky
and can be twelve feet long or more. Leaflets are narrow and armed
with small spines. The caudex is a light color and in the wild can
be up to ten feet tall. Historically, as this species is similar
to E. laurentianus, it was called also "Encephalartos
laurentianus Lake George", referring to its specific habitat.
The nursery plants I'm showing today are multiple newly acquired and outdoor
grown 15g plants. We have other size as well, both larger and
smaller. Note the
appearance of these plants with their long leaves with narrow leaflets.
Enthusiasts love this species because it's a good growing cycad.
Right on the coast I'd give it half day sun. It's not quite a
sun-tolerant as many of the South African species. Cold tolerance
is into the low 20's F.

FOR TEN DAYS: 20% OFF ANY
15G THIS SPECIES THAT IS AT THE NURSERY!

Large boxed specimen - note long leaves!

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD
ONE OF MOST POPULAR CYCADSTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SEEDLINGS

This popular blue cycad doesn't get
that large. A very old plant may have 18 inches of trunk with a
leaf crown diameter of four to five feet. It is native to the
Eastern Cape of South Africa. Along the coast it wants full hot
sun. It is slow growing and has super blue foliage. Its
leaves are very lobed and prickly. I'm putting seedlings on sale.
These are easy to ship. Very limited supplies.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $55TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SEEDLINGS $42.50

Mention this Blog Special for your discount.

CHAMAEDOREA PLUMOSA
THE BABY QUEEN PALM
SINGLE THIN TRUNK
LOOK BEST IN GROUPSTEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON SIZE

For anyone who's looked for this species lately,
you realize it's in very short supply and essentially unavailable in
larger sizes. This is because of a several year shortage of seeds. We
are pleased to presently put nice one gallon plants on special. All are
multiples with at least 3 plants per pot. This species gets up to about
14 feet height with a green, ringed trunk about 1.5 inches in diameter.
The leaves are plumose or fluffy. They are quick growing and perfect
for narrow planter areas. It will take full coastal sun. Cold
hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. It can also be used as a
houseplant in a bright area. This one gallon size is a piece of cake to
ship and we can easily fit four plants into one box. We ship plants in
their pots with soil.

This Madagascar palm is known as
the "Triangle Palm" because the crown shaft has three flat sides. It
gets to a mature height of about 22 feet in 3 decades. It loves heat
and sun. Leaves are a gray-green color and there is prominent speckling
in the inner crown with dark colors. It is slow growing. It has a cold
tolerance of about 24 degrees F. The 15g plants on special are chunky
and nice.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 15G $185TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $160

Just mention this Blog Special for your discount
at the time of purchase.

This and next four pictures of 15 g size on sale

25g sized, not on sale presently

Habitat picture Madagascar by MR

Balboa Park, San Diego

RHOPALOSTYLIS
CHEESEMANIIMEDIUM SIZED, VERY GRACEFULGORGOUS CROWN SHAFTTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

Of the Shaving Brush Palm family, this is the
hardest one to find. And, many think it's the prettiest and most
desirable species. Some consider it to be a variety of R. baueri.
We like to consider it a species. Native to Raoul Island, an island
well off the eastern side of New Zealand, this species has a medium
sized trunk and reaches a height of twenty five feet. The crown shaft
is gorgeous but not as swollen as R. sapida. I have some
customers who report the crown shaft being a purple color. On younger
plants, the leaf stems are red colored as shown here. Cold tolerance is
the low 20's F. It will take coastal sun or consider morning sun or
strong filtered light inland.

It's been a while since
I've talked about this species or offered in on special. This large
trunked Caribbean fan palm is native to Dominican Republic and Haiti
(Hispaniola). It can reach heights of sixty feet with a two foot thick
trunk. Most authorities feel that S. dominguensis is the same
species. Its leaves are blue green on a rather long petiole. Leaf size
is four to five feet across. The trunk is light colored, sort of a
gray.

Shown here are the band sized plants on special. We might have some 5g
and 15g as well. All sizes can be shipped. By the way, as you can see,
these band sized plants are not wimpy - they are an equivalent to most
nursery's 1g size.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $30TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $20

You know the drill - mention this Special to get this price.

note, this one's a "double"

a ten year old palm in Encinitas, CA

photo c/o Wikipedia

CHAMAEDOREA HOOPERIANASUCKERING, SHADE LOVING
GOOD HOUSEPLANT OR FOR PATIO TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

This species was named about a decade ago after a friend of mine and
Palm Society member, Luis Hooper. It is a suckering, medium sized
shade palm with thin trunks and prominent rings on the trunk.
Overall height peaks out at about twelve feet. Clumps do not run.
Leaf color is green and leaf length is four feet. It is similar to
Chamaedorea costaricana but with longer leaves and a fuller appearance
overall.

Shown here are almost entirely 15g plants which we're putting on sale.
I've shown one 20 gallon plant to demonstrate a more mature specimen.
I'm also showing some green seeds on one plant. This species is
fast growing and tolerates temperatures down to about 20 degrees F.
Our 15g plants are about 8 feet tall.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON PLANTS $200 TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE
$165
You must mention this Internet-only special when purchasing to get this
price

20 gallon size

FRIDAY, 17 JUNE, 2016

WODYETIA BIFURCATATHE FOXTAIL PALM
LOTS OF PHOTOS TO SEE THE SPECIES AND HOW IT LOOKS PLANTED OUT

Many of you are familiar with the Foxtail Palm of Australia. Native to
the Queensland area it reaches a mature height of twenty five to maximum
thirty feet. It has a narrow trunk for its height, typically 8 to 12
inches. Sometimes it will swell a bit at the base or in the middle of
the trunk.

It gets its
name from the very plumose or fluffy leaves, reminiscent of the tail or
a fox. Growth rate is medium although it can stall if it doesn't see
enough heat. It requires full sun as well. Plants in shade don't do
well. Cold tolerance is down to about 22 degrees F. The ideal location
is in the coastal strip but inland a bit. Some are even growing it in
full sun in desert areas.

Shown here are a whole assortment of pictures of the Foxtail with detail
shots as well. These are in both public and private plantings. Notice
the very fluffy leaves and trunk caliper. I wanted you to know that we
do offer this species for sale. Its availability changes month to
month. I've shown a few pictures below. Also,
this species has huge red seeds. Several photos show seeds that
have fallen to the ground.

BISMARCKIA NOBILISSTUNNING BLUE FAN PALM FROM MADAGASCARLOTS OF NEW PHOTOS OF THE SPECIES

Today I'm going to show you lots of pictures of
one of my favorite palms, the desirable Bismarckia nobilis. It
is native to Madagascar. It is a fan palm with a rather stout trunk of
sixteen to about twenty-four inches. Heights can reach over forty feet
although it's unclear how tall they will grow domestically in the U.S.
Leaves are blue in color as are the leaf stems. Leaves are broad and
essentially flat. With cold weather and on juvenile plants, leaves can
take on a purple color from winter's cold.

Bismarckia love full hot sun. It can
be grown in desert areas. Cold tolerance is down to the low 20's F.
The pictures shown today are of assorted trees of varying heights. I've
tried to show plant detail that you'll not find easily on the Internet.
Remember that this is a dioecious species with male and female trees.
One needs both a male and female palm with cross-pollination to set
viable seeds. The seeds shown here are maturing seeds on female plants.

I hope you like this species. It looks best (in
my opinion) planted as a single specimen. I have shown a few pictures
of plants at the nursery at the bottom.

ROYSTONEA REGIA
THE CUBAN ROYAL PALM
PICTURES SHOWING THIS SPECIES

This pinnate New World species is another favorite of mine. When I
started with palms about forty years ago, enthusiasts frowned when I
mentioned this species and said "unfortunately, Phil, you can't grow the
Royal Palm here". Well, I didn't buy that and instead had optimism
over it's possibly doing well here. And, exactly the latter has
proven to be the case. If you can grow a King Palm, there's a good
chance you can grow a Royal Palm.

There are multiple species of Roystonea. The most common
and sought after species is the Cuban Royal, Roystonea regia.
Natives to Florida are chagrined with the fact that "Roystonea
elata" was determined not be a unique Royal Palm native to
Florida but rather at most a variety of Roystonea regia.
Compared to the South American Royal Palm, Roystonea regia's
leaves hang down past (lower than) the midway point of the crown.
Roystonea oleracea's leaves stop at the "half moon" point and
don't hang down near the trunk.

Royal Palms love heat and sun. Cold tolerance is about 25 degrees
F. They are fast growers. We have a pretty good supply
available. I hope you like the photos I'm showing here. Note how
the base of the Royal Palm is quite swollen and fat. On up the
trunk there is variable swelling present. One picture here
shows a really massive base on the Royal.

This and the next three photos are sequential pictures
of the trunk of the Royal Palm starting at the bottom
swollen area and working on up the trunk

BROMELIADS IN THE
LANDSCAPEVERSATILE, EASY TO GROW COMPANION PLANTSVAST ASSORTMENT TO SELECT FROM

Bromeliads are a type of plant, typically small
in size, that are simple to grow and make great companion plants in the
garden. They are very versatile and, because most species grow
epiphytically, can be used on poles, posts, fences, mounted to trees or
simply grown in the ground among other plants. Almost all species
blossom once a year and the blossoms are long lived. Blossoms appear in
almost every color imaginable, anything from the rainbow. Plants
propagate by basal suckers and only really need care once a year when
old plants are removed from the cluster.

Photographs here show plants that are attached
to posts, mounted in trees and are used in water features. There are
some species that can get up to five or six feet tall and are quite
spectacular. If one wishes, he can just put the bromeliad, with it's
container, right into the ground. Some species tolerate full sun and
many love filtered light and blossom well in such light.

Although we are not a "bromeliad only" nursery,
we typically have a great supply of the most desirable types available
for sale. We emphasize beauty and color in our Bromeliads rather
than rarity. We consider one of our specialties our ability to offer a
great selection of interesting and colorful companion plants.

SPANISH MOSSTILLANDSIA USNEOIDESHANGS DOWN FROM TREE LIMBSCAN BE GROWN IN SOUTHERN CA

Having just talked above about Bromeliads, I
thought I'd mention a type of epiphytic Bromeliad that has a vast
distribution throughout the world. It is known to grow naturally in
Maryland, throughout the southwest United States, Central and South
America and has become naturalized in Australia. It is a wispy
flowering species that hangs on branches, phone lines or posts. Over
time the gray colored clumps get wider and longer. If you want to grow
it in your garden, you just throw it over something and let it hang in
the air. Or, attach it to a palm trunk. Water it from time to time and occasionally spray it with a
liquid fertilizer.

We do offer it for sale from time to time and
can offer large amounts by special order for those who really want to do
it up. Shown here is an example of a nursery plant with a close-up to
shown the hair-like strands of the plant.

THURSDAY, 16 JUNE, 2016

PRITCHARDIA,
THE HAWAIIAN PALMABOUT SIX SPECIES AVAILABLEBIGGEST AND BEST 15G AROUNDOUTDOOR GROWN, SEEN SUN AND COLDTEN DAY SPECIAL HUGE 15G PLANTS

Pritchardia are a tropical fan palm that
typically get heights of fifteen to twenty-five feet. They have lush
green leaves that are flat or a bit wavy. Often species have a lot of
white tomentum on the leaf stems. We call it the Hawaiian Palm because
it's the only palm that is native to Hawaii. Before men introduced
other species, there were only Pritchardias on these islands.

For those of you who have read this Blog for a while, you'll remember
that several years ago I bought out the private plant material of a
nursery that was going out of business. The species we got were all
from true Hawaiian species only. This included several hundred
Pritchardias that were huge at that time in
15g plants, had been grown outdoors and seen full sun. We put these
plants in our outside growing grounds and kept up with their care. They
are now even bigger, easily the size of a boxed Pritchardia. Sizes on some are eight feet in their pots with very thick
trunks. And, they are sun ready - instant planting material. We have
about five or six different species.

These plants take full coastal sun or part day
sun inland. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. or perhaps a bit
lower. They've seen all the cold we've had in the past three years.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 15G PLANTS $250TEN DAY SPECIAL $185 THIS SIZE

But, remember to mention this Blog Special to get
this price at the time of purchase. All photos shown here are of these
plants.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT
EVEN LARGER PRITCHARDIAHUGE BOXED SPECIMENSVARIOUS SPECIESTEN DAY SPECIAL

The 15g described above are very large. But, we
have even larger plants in boxes that people can lift and move. These
are 24 inch boxed plants. We have outdoor grown specimens as shown
here, quite a few of them. Many we've been growing for about twelve
years.

Over our 40 year existence, I'd estimate that the
nursery has sold several thousand of this very popular dwarf palm.
Typically we recommend putting in a small colony of them. They look
great like this and will get staggered heights. Most garden plants are
not over 3 to 4 feet tall. But, the last picture shows a few that we've
grown for decades and are head height. Because leaves are at the top,
such older plants look best with newer, smaller plants growing from the
bottom. If you have an older plant, put a few small ones at the base.
This species likes shade and has simple, non-divided leaves as shown.
Cold tolerance is about 25 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE 1G $40TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G $32.50

These are easy to ship and four in one box is no
problem. Just remember to mention this Special for the reduced price
when you purchase.

5 gallon size, not on sale right now

plant in garden

25 year old plants at nursery

ORANGE CLIVIAJUST COMING INTO BLOSSOMTEN DAY SPECIAL LARGE 5G PLANTS

Clivia are one of everyone's favorites for
Spring. This is because they reliably blossom this time of year in our
locality. The plants shown here are the orange variety. They have huge
blossoms coming out in spring and hold them for several weeks. Plant
now for a full crop of flowers next year. These plants like filtered
light and are cold hardy to the low 20's F. Of note, we also offer the
rare yellow form of Clivia, but they are not on sale.

This smaller and very cute
fan palm is native to areas of Florida, Mexico and into the Caribbean.
It has a blue green leaf color with more prominent silver on the
underside of the leaf. Mature height is rarely to twenty feet. Leaves
are about three to four feet across and prominently divided into
segments. It likes heat and sun. It might also do well in desert
areas. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. We have available 5g
and some 15g plants. It is ideal for people who want shorter but
attractive sun tolerant palms. But, particularly in pots, it is slow
growing. We're putting bands on sale today but do have 5 and 15 gallon
available.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $35TEN DAY
SPECIAL BANDS $25

Just mention this Blog Special when you purchase for your discount.

15 gallon size at nursery

back of leaf of nursery plant showing silver

ASSORTED SUCCULENTSMANY TYPES AND SPECIESTEN DAY SPECIAL -
EVERY SUCCULENT WE HAVE -
ANY SIZE!

I've shown a ton of photos here, most
taken recently, of assorted succulents we have at the nursery. All are
cool. Most are smaller but we have large specimens as well. The
majority are a piece of cake to ship. And, we're offering all on sale
for ten days.

TEN DAY SPECIAL
20% OFF ANY SUCCULENT IN INVENTORY

Remember to mention this Blog Only Special at time of purchase to get
your discount.

A few days ago we
received from one of our customers about twenty Lepidozamia
peoffskyana seedlings in one gallon pots. They came from domestic
seeds from his place of business. The business had planted an
assortment of these plants. Over the years they've grown and there
proved to be both sexes in the planting. Without any hand pollination,
seeds were formed. And, they proved to be good. He germinated a bunch
and we received them recently. They are one and two leaf seedlings.
This species will take full sun right on the coast but most enthusiasts
give it part day sun or strong filtered light. It needs some horizontal
room as it makes a larger cycad. Cold tolerance is actually quite good,
perhaps into the upper teens F. Folks are growing this plant in the SF
Bay Area without a problem. Leaves are soft to the touch and without
any spines. I am showing the 1 gallon sale plants and a few other
sizes.

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $55TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON $37.50

Just mention this Special at the time of purchase
for this price. These are easy to ship.

The genus Adiantum or
Maiden Hair Fern contains many species and cultivars. If you Google the
genus, you'll see all sorts of different looking plants. What I'm
showing here is the plant on the West Coast that we consider to be the
"classic Maidenhair Fern". They are full 1g. They never get over two
feet tall, like water and are best grown in filtered light. I'm putting
these on a Ten Day Special.

REGULAR PRICE 1G $25TEN DAY SPECIAL $15

Just mention this Special when purchasing to get
this price. These are a great understory companion plant.

5g size not available at this time

TUESDAY, 14 JUNE, 2016

BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN
ENCEPHALARTOSTEN DAY SPECIAL FOUR SPECIES HAS ENDEDBUT, WE'LL OFFER THE BEST PRICES WE CAN
ON REMAINING PLANTS
(Extended to 25 June, 2016)PLANTS JUST INTO THE NURSERY- BLUE CYCADS
RARELY ON SALE!

This past weekend we acquired about thirty
desirable Encephalartos plants from a private collection. The
majority were blue species from the Eastern Cape region of South
Africa. All are in 15 gallon containers.
All were seed grown and grown outdoors in the northern San Diego Country
area. Most have received some degree of or full sun. They are in what
appears to be a standard cycad potting mix. All are plants for full sun
along the coast. Cold tolerance on all four types is about 22 degrees
F.

The reason this collection interested me was the caudex sizes.
They
aren't overly large and therefore are not overly expensive.

NOTE: TERMS OF THIS EXPIRED SALE HAVE BEEN
DELETED FROM THIS POST

GROUP PHOTOS EACH SPECIES SHOWING A FEW OF THE SALE PLANTS

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPS

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUS

BLUE ENCEPHALARTOS AVAILABLE
(some may have sold)

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPS

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPS
CAUDEX 3 INCHES
PLANT #20

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPS
CAUDEX 2 INCHES
PLANT #16

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPS
CAUDEX 3.75 INCHES
PLANT #37

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPS
CAUDEX 3.25 INCHES
PLANT #21

ENCEPHALARTOS PRINCEPS
CAUDEX 3.25 INCHES
PLANT #26

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX 2.75 INCHES
PLANT #82

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX 2 INCHES
PLANT #84

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX 2.5 INCHES
PLANT #81

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX 2.25 INCHES
PLANT #61

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX 2.75 INCHES
PLANT #69

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX SIZE 2.75 INCHES
PLANT #80

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX 3.25 INCHESW
PLANT #91

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
CAUDEX SIZE 4.25 INCHES
PLANT #83

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
CAUDEX 2.5 INCHES
PLANT #45

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
CAUDEX 3 INCHES
PLANT #13

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
CAUDEX 3 INCHES
PLANT #44

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
CAUDEX 3.5 INCHES
PLANT #55

ENCEHALARTOS LEHMANNII
CAUDEX 3.25 INCHES
PLANT #48

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
CAUDEX 3.25 INCHES
PLANT #49

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUS

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUS
CAUDEX 2 INCHES
PLANT #1

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUS
CAUDEX 3 INCHES
PLANT #5

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUS
CAUDEX 3 INCHES
PLANT #34

THIS SALE ABOVE HAS
PRESENTLY ENDED
Remember, if interested, inquire and we'll offer the best price we can
on the plants that didn't sell.

BLUE
BUTIA CAPITATA
FIRST TIME EVER!
AVAILABLE IN ONE GALLON SIZETEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON PLANTS

Native to South America, this medium sized pinnate palm is quite
popular. But, they are normally green or a blue green in color. The
plants I'm showing here are a clone that is super blue! They are very
cool and super popular. And, they are hard to find. Mature height is
15 feet with a trunk diameter of about 18 inches. They loves sun, even
in the desert. A bonus: fruits are edible and taste good. This is why
it's also called the "Jelly Palm". If you plant this clone in shade,
the blue won't show as well. This size can obviously be easily shipped.
It is cold hardy to about 15 degrees F. Limited numbers available.
Also note, these have been shade grown and
the blue color will appear as you acclimate them to sun.

REGULAR PRICE 1G $40TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G $32.50

Just remember: Mention this Blog only special

KING PALM TRIPLESARCHONTOPHOENIX CUNNINGHAMAINATEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON

Everyone loves the triple King
Palm with its thin trunks and long green crown shaft. This
self-pruning tree gets to an average height in this area of 35 feet.
The triples seems to lean away from each other when grown closely
together. Native to Australia, this species prefers part or full
sun along the coast and is cold hardy to 25 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $55TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE $42.50

Just mention this Blog Only Special for your
discount when you buy.

ECHEVERIA "RED
RUFFLES"
DWARF SUCCULENT WITH GOOD COLOR
NATIVE TO MEXICOTEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE

Native to Mexico, Echeveria are
very popular among succulent enthusiasts. This variety sports a
nice red color on the leaves and their ruffled edges. Anticipate a
mature height of 12 inches or a bit more. They'll tolerate coastal
sun but need protection from a freeze. They make great patio and
container plants and are water conserving. With care I can ship
these plants.

We normally don't carry Flax but got in some of the red colored variety.
They must be in full sun to develop their color. Mature height is
3 feet. They are cold hardy into the upper teens F. This is
a nice sun plant for color or for a background type of planting.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $32.50

HAWORTHIA ZEBRINA
HAWWORTHIA LIMIFOLIACUTE MINIATURE SUCCULENTSTEN DAY SPECIAL AS SHOWN

These miniature "Aloe-appearing" succulents are native to South Africa
and don't get over about ten inches tall. They are super cute and
interesting. They tolerate full or part sun and are an ideal patio
or container plant. There are many types with all sorts of
appearances. Shown here are two interesting species, one with
striped leaves. Leaves are formed in tight rosettes with thick
leaves. Blossoms are not impressive by color but are super long,
up to three feet above the small plant.

One thing
I love to show at this Blog is the assortment of colorful Bromeliads we
have in stock. The pictures shown here were taken in the past week or
two. All are colorful or different and quite easy to grow. We
recommend just burying the pot right into the ground in the floor of the
garden. Or, you can put it in a nice patio pot. Bromeliads do quite
well in filtered light or a bit of sun. Some take full coastal sun.
All produce offsets, are self-perpetuating and live on. Each stem's
life cycle is one year. So, a single stem becomes two or three plants
by next year. Colors are often bold and striking as shown here. Cold
tolerance is typically into the 20's F. These plants can all be mail
ordered and many live indoors.

REGULAR PRICE MOST PLANTS SHOWN $25 TO $35TEN DAY SPECIAL 10% OFF
REGULAR PRICES

This is a solitary trunk species that is native to
Central America and doesn't get too tall. It resembles an
overgrown Chamaedorea radicalis. Unlike the radicalis,
this species forms a short trunk and gets to about 8 perhaps 10
feet plant height. It was named after IPS member Jim Benze from
California. It is a very gratifying species because it is quite
easy to grow. It can tolerate filtered light or full sun along the
coast. Trunks are one to one and a half inches thick and leaves are
about five feet long. They tend to be held in an upright position.
This species does not resemble any other Chamaedorea except for
the much smaller dwarf form C. radicalis. Cold tolerance appears to be into the mid-twenties F. This is a
species that looks good as a colony of multiple plants together.
Shown here is our 5g size. It appears that there's more than one
plant in this pot. We also have smaller sizes for sale but no larger
available right now. Note that this 5g is in flower.
Remember, you need a male and female plant to set seeds on
Chamaedorea.

This single trunk, pinnate palm is native to Lord
Howe Island. This island is between Australia and New Zealand. It is
also mountainous. There are three species of palms there: Howea,
Hyedyscepe and Lepidorrhachis. Closest to see level is
Howea forsteriana, the Kentia Palm. Further up the mountains
is Howea belmoreana. Then Hedyscepe and at the ridges
one sees the dwarf species Lepidorrhachis.

The Belmore Palm is known for it's umbrella shaped crown of leaves and
arching to the leaf. Trunks are thin, growth rate is slow and leaves
are green. It is more cold hardy than the regular Kentia Palm. Shown
here are two nice 15g plants, age about 6 years. We also have 5g for
sale but the 15g are on sale. Most grow this species in part day sun or
full sun on the coast with a cold hardiness of about 24 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $195TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $165

Remember: Mention this Blog Special when you
purchase.

CHAMAEDOREA STOLONIFERA
SUCKERING, DWARF SHADE PALM
SIMPLE, UNDIVIDED LEAVES
REPRODUCES BY "STOLONS"TEN DAY SPECIAL ANY PLANT THIS SPECIES

This is a great species from elevation in Mexico and named after the
fact that this species reproduces by forming stolons. These are
running suckers that will go underground and then grow vertically as a
new stem to the plant. This is a simple, entire leaf species with
very narrow trunks under one half inch. It never gets much over
six feet in height. It likes shady conditions and is easy to
propagate by removing a leafed out stolons that have formed roots.
It naturally forms a colony and is very beautiful. Cold tolerance
is into the mid-twenties F. It also makes an attractive
houseplant. Its leaves are small and entire with blunt or pointed
apical tips.

This is a filtered light plant.

TEN DAY BLOG SPECIAL: 20% OFF ANY
CHAMAEDOREA STOLINIFERA

Remember to mention this
Blog Only Special when you purchase to get your discount.

two and five gallon plants

Note very thin trunks

Nice colony in garden

Plant in garden

Same

One of our mother plants at nursery

PTYCHOSPERMA RAKKII
SUPER RARE NEW GUENIA PALM
SINGLE TRUNK, VIGOROUS GROWER
ESSENTIALLY NO DATA ON THIS PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

I had never heard of this single trunk palm
species from New Guinea until the late Louis Rosten told me about it 20
years ago. She showed me one in her garden. It is a single trunk palm
that she claimed was more vigorous growing than P. elegans.
It resembles the latter but is more stout with a thicker trunk and leaf
stem. It is also more sun hardy and possibly more cold hardy. Louis
said it goes down to about 24 degrees F. She got her plant from a
collection trip in habitat many years previously. And, her tree was
making seeds which gave me the opportunity to grow this palm. The 5g
plants are what we have presently. It is so rare that I have no garden
images to show you. And, palm books will tell you nothing about it as
well.

Native to an island near Vanuatu, this single
trunk palm may be a real winner for us in Southern California. One
might think it'd be no better than V. arecina or joannis.
But, so far, reports are excellent on it's performance here. In habitat
it has up to a fifty foot, thin, prominently ringed trunk. Leaves are
green and growth rate is said to be fast. As far as cold tolerance, we
are not sure. Hopefully it's well into the 20's F. All the nursery
pictures here are of the 5g size. This is the only size we have. It's
a sun or part sun species in most coastal areas. It is also super rare.

This thin trunked palm is native
to the eastern coast of Madagascar where in lives in humid rainforest.
There are only about 50 plants remaining in the wild. Despite it's
habitat environment with humidity, many are growing it well in our
locality. It reaches a variable height of ten to twenty five feet.
Trunk diameter is about six inches. There is no crown shaft. The most
prominent thing I've noticed about it at the nursery are the very narrow
leaflets. The leaf color is a dark green. It does produce a tithering
"heel" like so many Ravenea. It should take mostly sun in
coastal areas. Cold hardiness is unknown but probably into the mid to
upper twenties F. The 15g size is what we've put on sale.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE
$150
Mention this Blog Only Special for your discount.

This medium sized palm species from Madagascar is known for its rust
colored and fuzzy crown shaft. Thus the name "Teddy Bear Palm".
It gets to a mature height of about 25 feet and sports a silver trunk
with prominent rings. Direct sun on the trunk will turn it to a
light tan color. In filtered light it maintains the silver color.
Growth rate is medium. On our coast, it'll take full sun.
Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. Shown here are some
nice 15g plants that we are putting on sale. I'd rank it as one of
the "top twenty" palm trees for Southern California. Tons of our
customers are growing it with ease. If you live far inland, give
it part day sun or strong filtered light. We also have smaller
sizes available for easy shipping.

REGULAR PRICE 15G
$195TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $165

Please mention this Blog Special for you discount
when you purchase. This special is not published through our
standard price list.

Every serious gardener or palm enthusiast In So
Cal has to have at least one of this species in their yard. In my
opinion, this is the best of all the blue fan palms. Well grown, mature
plants are just stunning. The color is a definite blue. Stem size
averages about 18 to 20 inches (sometimes thicker). Heights here in CA
should get up to over 30 feet with ease and several decades of growth.
The leaf crowns are full. They love heat and sun.

The only downside is that they only tolerate temperatures down to about
20 degrees F. If you get colder than this you would defer to the also
blue Brahea armata which goes to about 15 degrees F but is also
intensely blue in color. The one gallon Bismarckia on special
are in the strap leaf stage but should be produce fan leaves this
summer. BTW, the "purple" color you see in the leaf of the 4th photo is
this species natural response to cold and it's presence or absence has
nothing to due with eventual color other than the fact that it shows a
plant is indeed the blue form of Bismarckia.

This climbing vine is native to Australia and
will trellis up a fence or pole or climb up the trunk of a tree. This
variety is hard to find and has large, white, trumpet shaped flowers
that have a deep red throat. There are other color varieties including
pure white which we also can offer. It grows in the shade or sun but
flowers better with sun. It is very cold hardy with reports of it
surviving temperatures into the teens F. These 5g plants are huge for
there pot and ready to be planted or moved into 15g pots.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $45

Just mention this Blog Special to get this
discount at the time of purchase.

JASMINE SPECIES
WHITE BLOSSOMS IN CLUSTERS
SUPER FRAGRANTTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

We just got in some very fragrant white
Jasmine plants in 5g pots. These are not the same as the more
common Trachelospermum jasminoide that you will see in
most nurseries. The blossoms are bigger, are super fragrant and
have bigger petals. This is the first time we've offered these
plants. They are a vining plant, so use a trellis or let them climb
on a fence.

Native to Australia in the New South Whales and
southern Queensland areas, this medium sized cycad has flat green leaves
with leaflets that droop down somewhat. If you start looking
around today, it'd probably take you a week or two just to find one of
these for sale. Descriptively, the inner portion of the
leaflets has a yellow to white area next to the leaf stem. Overall size
is not that large. Trunks can get to about a foot tall with leaves
about four feet long. The plants we just got in are about 15 years old
and we received two plants with male cones (see photo).

Culturally, this is an easy species to grow. It
tolerates full sun on the coast but also does great in part day sun or
strong filtered light. Cold tolerance is well into the lower 20's F. or
colder. The plants offered here have been outdoor grown in the northern
San Diego County area and are in 24 inch plastic boxes. Limited numbers
are available. Macrozamia miquelii is not easy to find and
near impossible to find in the size I'm offering here. As this is a
slow growing species, this is a great size to guarantee success in the
garden.

REGULAR PRICE THESSE 15 YEAR OLD BOXES $500TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $375

This is an interesting plant we propagate
ourselves from seeds of existing plants. They form small clusters of
shiny green leaf plants that don't get over 18 inches. Flowers come in
the fall are yellow, daisy-like and medium sized. This species enjoys
water and will droop over with too little water. Then, when given
water, they bounce right back. It's a good "indicator plant" for how
well you are watering the garden. They'll take sun in many areas or
part day sun. In full sun, give them plenty of water. These plants do
sucker and are easy to propagate from divisions. This is a great "filler
plant" to put in areas where you want something but don't know what to
use. We have other sizes but are offering really nice 5g on sale.

Most in Southern California know of the palm
pioneer, Luis Hooper. He has been a member of the Palm Society for many
decades. Although elderly, he still works on the palms. One of his
most famous accomplishments is the creation of very desirable Rhapis
hybrids. A few days ago we got in some nice 1 gallon plants that a
private collector got from Luis. When I heard he had them, I jumped on
them. These are sought out nationwide. This collector didn't recall
the cross. By my inspection, I'm pretty sure it's Rhapis multifida
x laosensis. Luis has done this cross before. If so, this cross
will make a palm that gets to about six feet tall, has thin canes and is
very attractive. It's for filtered light and will be cold hardy into
the upper teens F. You'll hardly ever find these for sale any more.

This interesting and super thin trunked fan palm
comes from Belize. Taxonomically, one might think it's most closely
related to Thrinax. But, it is actually more akin to
Cryosophila according to recent reports. It has a 3 to 5 inch
thick trunk. It can get over ten feet tall. Most that I've seen in
botanical gardens are about ten to fifteen feet. The crown of leaves is
fairly open. Fruits are light colored and large. Leaves are green,
near complete and soft. Germination of seeds is quite easily but
growing them from there is more of a challenge.

I'd recommend part day sun or coastal sun for
this species. I'm not positive about cold tolerance because they are
quite rare. But, I'd guess it's about a freeze at lowest. We have
several 3g plants available. These can be shipped quite easily.

We are fortunate here in Southern California
because there are quite a few striking, beautiful flowering tropical
trees that we can grow. Included in this group is the African Tulip
Tree with its clusters of large orange blossoms. This is a sun loving
tree that can get fairly large with a canopy of twenty to thirty feet
across. It blooms in summer but sometimes longer. There's a large tree
several blocks from the nursery that had blossoms with color from June
of last year until October. Cold hardiness is estimated to be in the
mid-twenties F.

Shown here are some seven foot tall 15g plants. This species is a fast
grower so these trees in the ground will be good sized in just a few
years. They were grown outdoors in a cooler part of our county.

REGULAR PRICE 15G SIZE $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $145

To get this price, just mention this Blog Only Special when purchasing.

Photo c/o Wikipedia Commons

HYOPHORBE VERSCHAFELTII
THE SPINDLE PALM
MUCH BETTER FOR CO CAL THAN THE BOTTLE PALM!TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

If you live in Southern California, the chances
are 99% that a Bottle Palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) will die in
your garden. They don't tolerate our winter's cold. If you live along
the coast, the chances are 75% that you can successfully grow the
Spindle Palm. Plain and simple. You might ask why a certain depot type
store only sells the Bottle Palm. It's because the Spindle Palm can't
be imported into CA from Florida because of lethal yellow disease. So,
one has to grow them from seeds here in California. And, that takes a
long time. But, that's exactly what we'd done. So, we can offer you a
Hyophorbe with a bulging trunk and on sale!

And, the Spindle Palm is easier to grow, gets
taller and has a cigar shaped trunk that is super cool. Mature height
in 25 years is about 15 feet. It loves sun. Cold hardiness is just
below a freeze.

This smaller and very cute
fan palm is native to areas of Florida, Mexico and into the Caribbean.
It has a blue green leaf color with more prominent silver on the
underside of the leaf. Mature height is rarely to twenty feet. Leaves
are about three to four feet across and prominently divided into
segments. It likes heat and sun. It might also do well in desert
areas. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. We have available 5g
and some 15g plants. It is ideal for people who want shorter but
attractive sun tolerant palms. But, particularly in pots, it is slow
growing. We're putting bands on sale today but do have 5 and 15 gallon
available.

This species, along with Chamaedorea lineares,
is one of the most sought after of the Chamaedorea family. It
is quick growing, gets to about 15 feet tall or more, and gets up to a 2
inch thick green trunk. It has prominent white rings on the trunk with
wide, green leaflets. Well grown, this palm is a show stopper. It is
also super hard to find. We've been out of them for at least six months
- people always ask for them. I just got in a limited supply of nice
one gallon plants (shown) that are 18 to 24 inches tall in their pots.
This is a filtered light palm that will tolerate a freeze.

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $45TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GAL $35

Remember: mention this Special for your discount.

15 gallon nursery plant, not available at this
time

Trunk of 15g plant

Close up picture show trunk with rings - note
flower stalk forming

LIVISTONA AUSTRALISTALL, THIN TRUNKED AUSTRALIAN FAN PALMTEN DAY
SPECIAL 15G

This
is a rather fast growing fan palm from Australia. Unlike other species
of Livistona, this one has a rather thin trunk of about 12 inches. The
most prominent characteristics to me are:

1. A near circular swirl of thin leaflets as shown below
2. A tall and thin trunk
3. Droopy leaflets hanging down similar to L. decipiens
4. Pretty good cold tolerance, probably into the upper teens F.
5. An easy to grow species that likes full sun

REGULAR PRICE 15G PLANTS $175TEN DAY SPECIAL 15g $140

We can ship this
size. To get this special price you must mention this Bog Only Special

DYPSIS ONILAHENSISTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

This species is a suckering palm from Madagascar
but can also be found as a single trunk specimen. It has either flat or
droopy leaves/leaflets and white to silver crown shafts. Overall height
is about twenty feet and trunk thickness is four to six inches. It
likes coastal part day sun, perhaps more, and is cold tolerant to the
mid-twenties F. The plants shown here appear to be the droopy leaflet
form, although I can't be positive.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $30TEN DAY SPECIAL $25 orTHREE FOR $65 THIS SIZEYou must mention this Blog only
special when purchasing.

HYPHANAE COREACE
BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN PALMS THAT FORK ABOVE THE GROUNDTEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON SIZE

Shown here are the one gallon size of this
branching palm from Africa. Of course, you only see this branching
habitat when it's in the ground and gets much larger. It likes heat and
sun. Cold hardiness is somewhere in the mid-twenties F. The
interesting thing about these plants is that they branch above the
ground - to be contrasted with suckering from the base.

The first three pictures are Hyphanae coriacea in 1g size. If you get
one of these, make sure you have the heat, sun and room for one.

REGULAR PRICE 1G
$45TEN DAY SPECIAL
$35

Just mention this Blog Only Special at time of
purchase to get your discount.

5g size

Hyphanae coriacea

Hyphanae coriacea

VARIEGATED SHELL
GINGER5G SIZE AVAILABLETEN DAY SPECIAL

This is a super popular variety of ginger that
blossoms in the summer. Blossoms are white with yellow and red
throats. Mature height of these plants is six to seven feet. The
leaves are prominently variegated with lighter green and yellow.
Blossoms are long lived but not fragrant. Blossoms occur during the
summer. I think they do best in part day sun although right on the
coast folks grow them in full sun. Cold tolerance is one of the better
for ginger, probably the mid-twenties F.

This fairly fast growing, single trunk palm gets
to a height of about 30 feet and seems to do well in coastal Southern
California climates. Although the exact cold hardiness is yet to be
worked out, it takes temperatures into the upper 20's F. It is a sun
species. The interesting thing is the arrangement of leaves on the
trunk. Note how they are widely separated and stair-step up the trunk.
Oppose this to all the foliage at the top of the trunk. This is less
apparent in old and mature trees.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $65

Just mention this Special for this price
when you order. These plants are about 5 feet tall, so shipping is a
bit more.

Rarely do I have this hard to find palm and even
more rarely do I put it on special. It's one of the hardest of the
Braheas to locate. It can reach heights of over 80 feet and is
native to Baja California, Mexico. Trunks are thin. Crowns of leaves
are open. Leaf color is typically green as shown here. One of the best
places to see this species is in Balboa Park, San Diego, less than a
half mile from where I live. It wants full sun, tolerates wind and dry
conditions and is a good growing species. Despite it's beauty, its a
solid grower and a fine addition to any garden.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $150.

I can mail order these but it'd be expensive b/c of the size of the
box. Remember, mention this Special!

This species is native to Mexico and in habitat
lives in sun or partial sun locations. It doesn't get that tall.
Anticipate a mature palm of not much more than ten feet. It is cold
hardy at least to 20 degrees F. It is slow growing. Leaf color can be
green or almost blue. The plants we have on special are suppose to be
the "blue" variety. They are not new seedlings but rather three to four
years old and on about their eighth leaf.

REGULAR PRICE THIS BAND SIZE $35TEN DAY SPECIAL BANDS $25
OR THREE FOR $65

You must mention this Blog only
special when purchasing to get these discounted prices.

This very cold hardy fan palm is most known for
the needles on the trunk as shown here. They are quite bizarre. Trunk
diameter max's out at about 12 inches and height is about twenty feet.
It takes full hot sun or part day sun. It grows at an average speed.
The needles on the trunk are about two inches long and rather thick for
a spine. It has a cold tolerance into the upper teens F. or a bit
lower. The 5g plant shown here is representative of the size on
special.

This possibly endangered species is native to
Swaziland and adjacent areas in Mozambique. It is similar to E.
villosus but, unlike the former, does not sucker and has wider and
longer leaflets. It does best in filtered light and has a cold
tolerance down to the low 20's F. Stems remain relative small, so this
is not a large cycad species. Leaf length averages about six to seven
feet.

Shown here are nice two year old seedlings that
we are putting on special. We do have other sizes available.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE THIS SPECIES $75TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE BAND PLANTS $50

But, mention this Special to get this discounted
price. Easy to mail order.

This Asian species of fan palm is super slow
growing and, over a few decades, can get 20 feet tall. It tolerates
coastal sun or shade. In shade, its leaves are flat, dark green and
super glossy and very flat. Trunk diameter is about a foot or a bit
more. Cold tolerance is into the upper teens F. It also makes a great
patio plant and some have grown it inside the house. Because it's slow
growing, it doesn't reach the ceiling for years.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $145

Just mention this blog only Special when you
purchase to get this price.
\

BIRDS NEST ANTHURIUM
ANTHURIUM HOOKERITEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

The plants shown here are Bird Nest Anthurium
and on sale. They prefer filtered light or a little bit of sun.
They can reach heights of about seven feet. These plants are great
companion plants for the garden floor. The trunks will have
adventitious roots and the leaves extend upwards. The leaves can be
five feet long or more. They have a bit of wave to the surface. In our
area they tolerate temperatures into the upper 20's F.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 5G PLANTS $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE
$50

You must mention this special at the time of purchase to get this
price. It's like a reward for reading this blog.

Mature plants, not part of this Ten Day Special

ZAMIA
ANGUSTIFOLIADWARF CUBAN/CARIBBEN CYCAD SPECIESTEN DAY SPECIAL VERY OLD BAND SIZED PLANTS

This dwarf Zamia species is quite rare
and has leaves that are typically about two feet long. A plant in the
garden is rarely over three feet tall. Trunks get up to about 8 inches
with most of the trunk being subterranean. Leaflets are very narrow.
New leaves emerge a reddish-brown color and are very soft. There are
some spines on the petioles but not on the leaflets. The crown is wispy
and somewhat open.

The band sizes we have are at least ten years old. Many have coned
right in this small container. Remember, this is a dwarf species. They
tolerate part day or full day coastal sun but would need bright filtered
light inland. Maybe they'd even work as a house plant.

REGULAR PRICE THIS SIZE PLANT $85TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE
$55

Just mention this Blog special when ordering to get this discount. Mail
order: piece of cake.

AGAVE
VILMORINIANA
OCTOPUS AGAVE
ANOTHER WATER CONSERVING PLANTTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G PLANTS

This species of Agave in native to northern Mexico
with perhaps extension into the U.S. It is not a large plant. Mature
height is up to four feet with a similar spread of the leaves. The
leaves are thick and fleshy and soft at the end. There is no terminal
hard point to them. The leaves go out and then curve downward. They
are slow growing, green to blue-green in color. Culturally, they are
xerophytic with low water requirements, are somewhat tropical appearing
for an Agave and like full, hot sun. By the way, they get their common
name b/c of their mature appearance (last photo) that sort of resembles
an octopus. Below is also a photo of the 15g size which we have or can
get for you.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $45

Easy to ship. Just mention this Special when ordering to get this
price. BTW, these 5g plants are huge for their pots, even bigger than
the photos show here.

larger 15g size

photo c/o website Univ. of Arizona, Pima County

RAVENEA
HILDEBRANDTIISEMI-DWARF PINNATE COMORO ISLAND PALM
NEVER OVER ABOUT TEN FEET TALLTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

This endangered semi-dwarf palm species is from
the Comoro Islands, close to Madagascar. It has a very thin trunk.
Although reports of twenty foot palms in habitat exist, in most domestic
gardens don't expect anything over ten feet in a lifetime. Trunk
diameter is two to three inches. Leaf size is three to four feet. Most
have grown this species in part day sun or filtered light. However, I
have one customer growing it well in full sun. Cold hardiness is in the
mid-twenties F.

I have available a limited number of band size
plants. You must appreciate that this species is super rare and rarely
offered for sale. Yes, it costs a bit more than average seedlings, but
is well worth it. These are on about their fourth to fifth leaf. I
also have 5g and 15g available. The older tree below is from Fairchild
Tropical Garden.

TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE BAND
SIZE $37.50

Limited supply. Just mention this Blog Special for this price when you
purchase.

This is a 15g plant and available at nursery as well

DYPSIS CABADAEFOR THOSE WHO LIKE THICKER TRUNKSSUCKERING MADAGASCAR PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

This species of pinnate palm doesn't have the
cold hardiness of D. baronii or onilahensis, but is
not far behind. Its hallmark are the thicker trunks. They can get four
to five inches thick in Southern California. And, it prefers full sun.
It does sucker and gets over twenty feet tall. It is crown Shafted.

This single trunk fan palm is native to
regions stretching from Mexico through Central America. In the genus,
there are multiple species. All have prominent white powder on the
underside of the leaflets as shown here. Trunks are narrow. Often
you'll see what look like "spines" on the trunk. But, these are a
different structure - they are modified root spines. They are quite
interesting looking. Right on the coast, this species can take full or
part day sun. Most would grow it in bright filtered light. Expect
heights ranging from ten feet to well over twenty feet. Cold hardiness
is into the upper twenties F.

Encephalartos arenarius
is a cycad that, once you've learned it, you'll spot it almost every
time. It is native to the Natal district of the Republic of South
Africa. Mature trees have a maximum trunk height of three to six
feet, although the latter is very rare to see. Leaves are three to
five feet long and quite recurved, especially at the end. Leaflets
are prominently lobed and spiny. There are variations in the
width of the leaflets from fairly narrow to wide. But, the most
striking difference among plants is the leaf color. You can see
dark green plants as shown first here. Or, you can see very blue
plants. And, everything in-between.

The first plant shown here with lots of pictures is the green form.
This plant is in a 24 inch box, about fifteen years old and has two
caudexes, each about ten inches. If you look at the first photo
carefully, you'll note there are two crowns of leaves. This
species does sucker. Other photos show a blue-green plant and a
very blue specimen. Along the coast this species likes sun.
Cold hardiness is about 22 degrees F. This plant is not hard to
grow and fairly quick growing. We have many sizes of this species
for sale and all can be mail ordered.

We have a limited selection of this desirable
form of King Palm which is known for its clean, emerald green crown
shaft and more tropical appearance compared to the common King Palm. It
is native to the region around Myola in the Atherton Tableland in
Queensland, Australia. It has a silver color to the back of the
leaflets and does not have ramenta (hairs). Growth rate is quick and
mature height can be 40 feet or more. Our special is on the 5g size
shown in the first four pictures.

Along the coast, it looks the best in part day
sun but can take full sun if you give it lots of water. Cold tolerance
is about 25 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $50

Just remember to mention this Blog Special when
purchasing to get your discount.

This species of exotic palm is from the island of
Madagascar. It is the third of three Beccariophoenix species
described from this palm-loaded country. It is so sought after because
some feel that it's the prettiest species of the three. And, because is
may possess the best cold hardiness. I've documented other
Beccariophoenix species tolerating temperatures below 25 degrees at
our nursery. So, this species may survive in areas like San Francisco,
Phoenix and Houston. It grows to a height of about thirty feet and does
not have a crown shaft. Leaves are long and minimally curved. The
crown of leaves are densely placed. Growth rate is medium in most areas
and along the coast it likes sun. This species is rather hard to find.
We're putting our limited supplies of 1g plants on ten day special. You
can see by the pictures that these are very healthy looking one gallon
plants.

REGULAR PRICE 1G THIS SPECIES $45TEN DAY SPECIAL 1g $37.50

You must mention this Internet-only special when
purchasing to get this price. Limited supply.

This South American suckering fan palm
comes from Argentina and Uruguay. From these locations, you might
suspect it could have quite a bit of cold hardiness, and this is the
case with not only this species of Trithrinax,but of the genus as a whole. Availability of
seeds of this species has been sparse to nonexistent. And, as a young
plant, it is quite slow growing. Consequently, to get a good sized
container plant can take a decade or more. We were fortunate to offer
some very nice 5g plants as shown below. I'd estimate their age at 7
years. They are dividing and very chunky at the base. They are totally
acclimated to full hot sun and are intensely blue. This is a perfect
selection for someone who lives in an interior area with lots of heat.

Overall height of this species is up to twenty feet. Multiple stems are
produced, but usually the number is just several. Leaves are small,
typically about two feet wide. The segments of the leaves are pointed
and sharp. Trunks retain old leaf bases but, like
Washingtonia, eventually fall off. This is a
drought tolerant species and can take temperatures well into the 100's
F. and cold tolerance is into the teens. Of note, most specimens I've
seen are blue. The last two photos show a mature plant that is
blue-green in color, probably due to the fact that it's not getting full
sun.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $75TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $50

But, remember to mention this special when purchasing to get this price.

This and next 4 pictures of 5g size on sale

15g size, not on sale right now

15 gallon size

WALLICHIA SPECIES
SURPRISE! IT'S SUCKERINGTEN DAY SPECIAL 1 AND 5 GALLON SIZE

Wallichia is a genus of palms from Asia
- countries spreading from India to China. There are approximately six
to eight described species. The plants shown here came in as "Wallichia
disticha". But, they are not this species. I say this because
W. disticha is a single trunk species. These plants are
suckering. How a seedsman could mistake a single trunk plant for a
suckering plant is beyond my comprehension. But, they are what they
are. One might think these are W. densiflora (another species
we're growing), but they look different. So, for now, we're calling
them "Wallichia species". Who knows for sure what you'll get
with these?

Wallichia are all desirable as a group.
They are difficult to find - any species. They'll remind an experienced
grower of Arenga palms. They have green leaves that are silver
underneath and chopped and irregular at their ends. I'd anticipate a
smaller plant with these plants. Perhaps their height will reach ten
feet. They'd take partial sun or strong filtered light. Cold hardiness
should be in the mid-twenties.

REGULAR PRICE 1G $45TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G $37.50

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $50

Just mention this Blog Special for your discount
when you purchase. Limited numbers available.

Wallichia densiflora

Wallichia disticha

PHILODENDRON
BIPENNIFOLIUMTHE HORSEHEAD OR FIDDLE
LEAF PHILODENDRONCLIMBING SPECIES WITH UNUSUAL LEAFTEN DAY SPECIAL 2 GALLON SIZE

It's happened over time but we have a pretty nice
selection of rare Philodendrons, both climbing and rosette
forms. Luckily, we are fortunate to be on an exchange program with
a well known botanical garden and get really cool aroids from time to
time. They want rare palms and cycads. In return, we get
rare aroids. So, on any given day, you may drop in and see
tropical companion plants that you just can't find elsewhere.

This species is from Brazil. I am actually showing two different
plants that I think are both considered to be bippenifolium.
But, they are a little different. The third photo shows how
juvenile leaves are totally unlike the mature arrowhead shaped leaves.
This is a climbing species that can go well into the canopy from roots
in the ground. It is a shade loving plant that tolerates
temperatures down to about a freeze. Come by and check out the
unusual species that we offer.

REGULAR PRICE 2 GALLON $55TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $40

Just mention this Blog Only Special for your discount at the time of
purchase.

RARE, CLIMBING PHILODENDRON SPECIES
VERY UNUSUAL LEAFTEN DAY SPECIAL

Shown in the first 3 pictures is a rare and
undescribed species of Philodendron. Many plants of this genus
are climbers. This means that they will literally climb up a fence,
pole or trunk of another tree. Such is the case with the species shown
here. Please note its interesting leaf shape. We got stock of this
species from a large botanical garden in LA where we have an exchange
program. It comes from a plant in the wild. For sure, you'll not find
this species at any local nursery. This plant has seen a freeze at our
nursery and is a good grower. The last two pictures show epiphytic
plants on palm trunks including a Philodendron and a Moosehorn
Fern.

REGULAR PRICE 2 GALLON AS SHOWN $55TEN DAY SPECIAL $40

Just mention this Special for your discount at
the time of purchase.

Different species climbing a trunk

Examples of epiphytic plants

ARCHONTOPHOENIX BEATRICEA
RARE SPECIES IN KING PALM FAMILY
SILVER BACK TO LEAVES
SWOLLEN BASE OF TRUNKTEN DAY SPECIAL BIG ONE GALLON
PLANTS

Most people don't know that there are
about six or seven different species in the King Palm family. When
customers come in, they are shocked to see that there are choices with
this family of Australian, crown shafted palms. But, there are.

All are single trunk and have crown shafts. On A. purpurea,
the crown shaft is purple. A. maxima is a bigger species.
Archontophoenix beatricea is known for the silver backs to the
leaves, the prominent, "ridge like" step offs of the trunk rings and the
definite swelling at the base of the trunk. Culturally, it's just like
the standard King Palm. The 1 gallon I'm putting on special here are
mostly multiples (more than one plant per pot) and of excellent size.
Mail order is a piece of cake.

REGULAR PRICE 1G $40TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G $32.50
This price above is a bit more than our band price for the same species
yet these are three years old and three times bigger. Just mention this
special to get your discount at the time of purchase.

This attractive fan palm is native to the
islands of Kauai and Nihau in the Hawaiian chain. It lives at about 500
feet elevation or more in dry forests. There, some plants are found on
dry cliffs. Maybe because of its natural habitat, it does quite well in
Southern California. Plants get up to about 20 feet height with a
narrow trunk for their height. Leaves are green with some divisions of
the leaf segments. Fruit is medium-large in size, up to 3/4 of an
inch. Culturally, this species takes full sun on the coast and wants
morning sun further inland. Cold tolerance is down to 25 to 27 degrees
F.
The plants on sale are one gallon although we may have larger sizes
available.

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $40TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON
$32.50

Remember: mention this Blog Special for your
discount.

FRIDAY, 3 JUNE, 2016

BLUE BUTIA CAPITATA
THE BLUE PINDO PALM
HARD TO FIND BLUE LIKE THESE
RUGGED AND COLD HARDYTEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

Native to South America, this medium
sized pinnate palm is quite popular. But, they are normally green or a
blue green in color. The plants I'm showing here are a clone that is
super blue! They are very cool and super popular. And, they are hard
to find. Mature height is 15 feet with a trunk diameter of about 18
inches. They loves sun, even in the desert. A bonus: fruits are
edible and taste good. This is why it's also called the "Jelly Palm".
If you plant this clone in shade, the blue won't show as well. This
size can be shipped. It is cold hardy to about 15 degrees F.

This single stem fan palm is native to northern
and western Mexico. It is not a tall palm. Heights vary from
12 to 25 feet with an 8 to 10 inch thick trunk. Leaf color is
green to blue green. Old leaf bases will persist for some time on
the trunk but eventually fall off making a smoother trunk. The
crown is not overly large. Growth rate is medium. It is a
full sun species with cold tolerance down to the lower 20's F. The
special today is for the 5g size. I've previously but bands on
sale as well.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $50

Remember: Mention this Blog Only Special
as this price is not posted anywhere else.

At the onset, I might mention that the lumping
taxonomists have combined this "species" with Brahea dulcis.
This expanded its habitat from northeastern Mexico to a new
distribution including Mexico and down into several Central American
countries. This also changed height descriptions and leaf color. With
this said, these plants should give a green colored palm that will get
to between ten and twenty feet tall with a trunk eight to ten inches
thick. It forms a petticoat of old leaves. It is drought tolerant,
takes temperatures to the low 20's F. and prefers full, hot sun. The
size on sale here are the 5 gallons as shown.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $60

You must mention this Blog Special when
purchasing.

Photo by TS at RPS

BRAHEA DECUMBENS
DWARF, BLUE, COLD HARDYTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This is a great slow growing species at a great
price. I am offering this rare, hard to find, suckering fan palm
species.
Our special is on our five gallon sized plants. They are green now but
will turn blue in the sun and in the ground. Limited supplies are
available. These plants are five years old.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON SIZE $75TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $60

You must mention this Blog only special when
purchasing to get this price.

ROYSTONEA REGIA
THE ROYAL PALM TREE
THE CUBAN ROYAL PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 2G SIZE

This single trunk, very elegant and tall, crown
shafted and fast growing species is native to southern Florida and
Cuba. At one time, the "Florida Royal" was known as R. elata.
But, that "species"/ name has been combined with R. regia. It gets to a height of sixty feet of more, has
an elongated smooth and green crown shaft and has a swollen base with a
fat trunk. Leaves are plumose and long. Leaves hang down toward the
trunk with age. Growth rate is fast. This sun likes full sun, even in
the desert. Cold tolerance is 25 degrees F. This is the same as the
King Palm. For some reason there is a shortage of this species on the
market. Although these 2g are not very big, this is what we have at
this time. I'm putting them on special.

REGULAR PRICE 2G $45TEN DAY SPECIAL 2G $35

Just mention this Special for this price.

15g size, not on sale

CEROXYLON AMAZONICUM
TOLERATES MORE HEAT THAN OTHERS IN THE GENUSTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

In case you hadn't noticed, it's very difficult
to find any Ceroxylon around. We are selling our limited number of 5g
C. amazonicum at a discount. They are native to the lower
Andean slopes in Ecuador. Yet, this is still over one mile in
elevation. The trunk is thin. Expect a mature height of over 35 feet.
Cold tolerance is unknown, probably into the lower 20's F.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $55

Just mention this Blog Special to get this
discount at the time of purchase. Remember, only a few remain.

nursery 15g, no longer available

photo by TS RPS

ENCEPHALARTOS
ITURIENSISCENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD WITH LONG UPRIGHT LEAVESSUPER RARETEN DAY SPECIAL JUVENILE PLANTS

This species is native to the Ituri Forest in the
Congo in Central Africa. It is extremely rare to see it offered for
sale. This cycad would not be as cold hardy as plants further south in
South Africa. But, it should take weather into the mid-twenties F.
E. ituriensis is known for its long, upright leaves reaching well
over twelve to fourteen feet tall. It towers over E. whitelockii
in terms of length. Leaflets are armed and narrow. The plants on
special are three to four years old and carrying about four leaves.
BTW, if you search the Net for photos of this species, they are
essentially nonexistent. This is because of political instability of
the area, remote native location and the risk of Ebola infection.
Certainly this has hampered availability of this species worldwide.

REGULAR PRICE THESE PLANTS/THIS SIZE
$150TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $110

Just mention this special at the time of purchase
for your discount. Only a few available at this price.

Enthusiasts love this species for a lot of
reasons. It is small, never over about four feet tall. It is also
quick growing with attractive fern like leaves. It also tolerates
filtered light or coastal sun and is easy to "sneak into" that small
open area on the garden floor. We are offering citrus pot plants at an
excellent price. This species is CITES protected and endangered in the
wild. Mature leaf length is three feet. This species is easy to cone
and you might want to consider getting a male and female plant so you
can help conserve this great species. If available, I can select sexes
for you..

REGULAR PRICE
CITRUS POT SIZE $185TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $150
Very limited supplies on this rare species. You must mention this Blog
Only Special when purchasing. U.S. shipments only, weather permitting.
But, you can buy now, save and we hold plants for better weather for
free.

ZAMIA FURFURACEA
THE CARDBOARD CYCAD
COMPACT PLANT WITH NO SPINESTEN DAY SPECIAL
NICE 2&3 G PLANTS

This popular dwarf cycad is from Mexico and rarely
gets over four feet tall. Plants do cluster and form low profile
clumps. Stems can get typically to about 12 inches although taller
stems are seen in the wild. Leaves are almost always under 36 inches
long. Leaflets are wide, short and have no spines or armor. This is a
very user friendly plant. It tolerates full sun along the coast and
needs filtered light in the desert. Cold hardiness is into the low 20's
F, perhaps a bit lower.

We're offering here 3 gallon plants. They are nice plants for starting
in the garden. We do have larger plants that are not on sale right
now. But, this size can easily be shipped right in their pots.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 3G PLANTS $85TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $50

You must mention this Blog only special when purchasing to get this
price.

CARYOTA GIGASEXOTIC FISHTAIL PALM
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

This tropical appearing Fishtail Palm is native to
northern Thailand. It is fast growing and gets a very thick base.
Overall height is about 35 feet. Cold tolerance is typically into the
low 20's F., perhaps a bit lower. It is not as cold hardy as
Caryota urens, but close. Leaves are long and wide, sometimes up
to fourteen feet long. It is a monocarpic species and lives about
fifteen years.. We are offering nice 15g plants on special.

This
suckering fan palm has a wide native distribution spreading from
Southern Florida (where it's known as the Everglade Palm), Mexico, some
Caribbean Islands, Central America and far northern South America.
It has a fondness for water and can tolerate wet conditions. It
loves sun and heat. People in the desert can grow it if they give
it adequate water. Cold hardiness is about 20 degrees F.
Mature height is variable, somewhere between fifteen and thirty feet.
Trunks are thin and have an attractive fiber pattern. It is known
to grow better in the ground that in containers.

We're offering
nice one gallon plants on special. We might also have a few 5g.
The one gallon size are simple to ship. Note on the last pictures
that the trunks of this palm are quite thin and the crowns of leaves are
small.

REGULAR PRICE 1G
$40TEN DAY SPECIAL 1G $32.50

Remember to mention this Blog Special for your
discount when you purchase.

CHAMAEDOREA GEONOMIFORMIS
TWO MATURE FEMALE PLANTS
IN FLOWER & FRUIT
WOULD LIKE TO SELL AS A PAIR
TO FORM A BREEDING COLONY

This is a dwarf, single trunk, simple leaf and
shade loving palm that has a native distribution from southern Mexico
down into many countries in Central America. It is distinguished from
Chamaedorea ernesti-augusti by more narrow leaves (side to
side) and by the fact that they are much more rare in private
collections. A mature tree is usually under three feet tall with a
pencil thin trunk. Like all Chamaedorea, this is a dioecious
palm where one must have both males and females to set seeds. This
species likes filtered light and would be great as an understory
planting. The two plants offered here are very old female plants, both
females. These plants came from Rusty's (staff at the nursery) private
palm collection. There are seeds on both. As we had no male nearby, I
suspect the seeds will give an interesting hybrid of some sort. We'd
like to sell both together so someone can get a breeding colony going.

ARCHONTOPHOENIX MAXIMA
THE WALSH RIVER KING PALM
NATIVE HABITAT ATHERTON TABLELANDTEN DAY SPECIAL HUGE BANDS

For folks who like big
King Palms, this one might be perfect for you. Native to the Atherton
Tablelands in Australia, its native habitat is up to 3500 feet. This is
a single trunk pinnate species that is part of the group of palms all
known as "King Palms". Mature heights are up to seventy feet with an 18
inch thick trunk. The underside of the leaflets are silver as shown
here. Contrast this to the absence of silver on our "teracarpa"
that I've Blogged about before. This is a full sun species with a cold
tolerance of 25 degrees F. The plants on sale here are huge band size,
age 3 years. They are equivalent to a 2 gallon plant. REGULAR PRICE BANDS $35TEN DAY SPECIAL $27.50

Just
mention this Special when ordering for your discount.

15 gallon size at nursery

photo by Luke Nancarrow, Australia

ARCHONTOPHOENIX TUCKERI
THE PEACH RIVER KING PALM
TALL BUT MORE NARROW TRUNK THAN MAXIMATEN DAY SPECIAL 1G SIZE

This type of King Palm is from the Cape
York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. It gets to a height of sixty
to seventy feet but has only a ten inch thick trunk. The underside of
the leaflets are silver and there is no ramenta. Leaflets also tend to
droop a bit. The crown shaft is green. Like other types of King Palms,
this is a good growing species that want sun, ample water and has a cold
tolerance into the mid-twenties F.

This more rare type of Kentia Palm is from Lord
Howe Island, the home also to the more common Howea forsteriana.
But, the Belmore Palm grows at a higher mountain elevation than the
forsteriana. Therefore, it possesses a bit more sturdiness and
cold tolerance. The hallmark of this species is the curve seen in the
leaves. They curve downwards toward the ground. Thus we get the name
"Curly" Palm. Some call it a type of "umbrella" palm as well. Expect a
height up to 35 feet or a bit more with a six to eight inch trunk. The
5g on special here are quite nice and 5 years old.

This
endangered semi-dwarf palm species is from the Comoro Islands, close to
Madagascar. It has a very thin trunk. Although reports of twenty
foot palms in habitat exist, in most domestic gardens don't expect
anything over ten feet in a lifetime. Trunk diameter is two to
three inches. Leaf size is three to four feet. Most have
grown this species in part day sun or filtered light. However, I
have one customer growing it well in full sun. Cold hardiness is
in the mid-twenties F.

I have available a limited number of this rare
species for sale. This includes band size, 5g and some 15g plants.
But, so you could see what it looks like over time, I wanted to share
this 25g plant.

PRITCHARDIA MNIOR
GORGEOUS HAWAIIAN FAN PALM
NATIVE TO HIGH ELEVATION ON KAUAI
RARE IN CULTIVATIONTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G

This is one of the more desirable
species of the family of Pritchardia. This genus is native to
HI but also to some South Pacific islands. For those of us in
California, this distinction is important. Most of the Hawaiian specie
do well here. Those from the South Pacific don't. Pritchardia
minor is from the western side of Kauai where I've been lucky
enough to see it in habitat. There it grows at elevations up to 4200
feet. Although I've not seen plants over 20 feet tall, there are
apparently habitat plants that are 30 feet. The leaf is flat, green on
top and somewhat silver below. The trunk is narrow. The 5g size on
special here are very nice.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL $60Remember: mention this Blog Only Special!

PRITCHARDIA MARTII
ANOTHER HAWAIIAN SPECIES
FROM THE ISLAND OF OAHU
BIG FLAT LEAVES
RUSTY SILVER UNDERNEATHTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

I remember visiting Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu years ago and
talking to the late botanist Ray Baker. This Garden is west of the
city, nestled right next to the foot of a range of mountains. Ray was responsible for the
fantastic collection of palms at the Garden. Ray pointed up to the
mountains towering over the garden. He told me that "right up there.
That's where I collected Pritchardia martii."
Native habitats for this species are on steep cliffs at elevations of
300 to 2000 feet. It can
get to a height of thirty feet. But, the trunk is much thicker
than P. minor above. The leaves are also wider, very flat and
a rusty-silver below. This palm is super attractive and any palm
enthusiast will love it. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. It
takes coastal sun or part day sun. The 5g on special aren't as big as
the minors above but very nice - and hard to find! Note
the wide, puffy leaves at this stage. This is typical of P.
martii.

This attractive fan palm is native to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico
and to the western areas of Cuba. It has deeply divided leaves
with leaflets that droop, similar to Sabal mauritiformis. Trunks
are thin for the plant height. Anticipate a height over 30 feet in
many year